Off The Deep End
by KishKiss
Summary: After the defeat of Deep Blue and the departure of the aliens, Ichigo begins to wonder what life would have been like in she had chosen differently. Masaya is troubled by a past he is barely able to remember and Kisshu is surrounded and adored by people on his planet but misses the one he left on Earth. With more secrets and confessions, who can truly be trusted?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is my first Mew Mew fanfic so feedback and constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. I hope you like it. This is just going to be the prologue and chapter one should be up soon! This is written as though A la mode never happened so none of that will be included. Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew or Mew Mew Power!**

**-C.C.**

***Four months after the defeat of Deep Blue and the departure of the Cyniclons. **

Ichigo ran a brush quickly through her hair, the flash of pink still startling her. Though she hadn't been in her mew form since the battle, a pink streak had permanently taken residence in her hair. Everyone at school had thought it was a fashion statement and admired it, wishing they had one of their own. However, Ichigo knew what it really was. A reminder of all she had lost, like a badge of honor on a war hero's chest. And though no one knew, Ichigo didn't count that day as a complete victory. She had lost. She had lost so much. Ichigo had finally been forced to choose between her human life and her non-human life. For what no one knew was that Ichigo had been given an offer.

***Flashback***

After Deep Blue had been defeated, Kisshu had pulled her aside, battle scarred and worn.

"Ichigo, I know you don't hate me but I can also see that you do truly love Masaya. But after this he won't be the same. He won't understand what you are, what you can be. Come to my planet with me. Help me to restore it. You would be honored and loved, you could have everything you ever wanted. You could have me." Kish's voice cracked on the last part, even he knew what a long shot his plea was. But Dren had guessed correctly. Ichigo didn't hate him, in fact, over the time they had spent fighting and bantering, Ichigo had grown fond of him. Maybe she even liked him. Ichigo was part cat and mostly human, and that human side would not let her turn her back on everything that was home for an alien creature.

"You may not believe this, but I want to. I really do. But I can't. I can't leave my teammates, my family and my friends….I can't leave Masaya. I don't know what I feel for you yet but I know what I feel for him. And I know that I can't give that up." Ichigo hung her head, a tear managing to escape and rush down her cheek. Ichigo's fingers lifter her chin, forcing her to make eye contact with him. "Be happy my kitten." He whispered before vanishing, leaving Ichigo with a surprisingly large, Kish shaped hole in her heart. As Masaya wrapped his arms around her, she couldn't help but wonder what a different set of not-quite human arms would feel like instead.

***Flashback over***

Even after all this time, Kish's words were still etched in Ichigo's brain. Worse, they were coming true. Masaya had changed, and not for the better.


	2. Chapter 2

Off The Deep End- Chapter One

**Decided just to jump start this and get this chapter up ASAP. I think this is still gonna be a bit of a filler chapter to set up for the rest of the story though to be honest at this point I have no clue where this story is going. If you like it so far be sure to review and tell me what you think and what you want to happen! Here we go!**

***Once again I do not own TMM or MMP***

The street flashed by quickly under Ichigo's pounding feet. Apparently becoming a super hero and saving not one but two planets didn't change the fact that Ichigo just couldn't manage to get anywhere on time. Once again, she was late for a date with Masaya. She reached the park, just glimpsing his head as he turned to go down to where the old cherry tree used to stand. Masaya and her had been attempting to grown a small cherry sapling that had shown up after the final battle.

"Masaya! Masaya I'm here sorry I'm…" She yelled but Masaya cut her off. "Late. I know." His tone was light but something in his eyes alarmed Ichigo. "Are you okay?" She asked taking his hand in hers. Instead of wrapping his large hand around her smaller one, Masaya shook her off. "We'll discuss it when we get to the tree." Ichigo followed behind him warily, wondering why he was acting so strange. Masaya led down the pathway to the small tree, a tiny remnant of the huge cherry that had been. Slumping to the ground, Masaya patted the grass beside him. Ichigo waited anxiously, not knowing if she had done something wrong. "I… I can't remember things." He started, his voice nervous. "What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, attempting to take his hand again. Instead of pulling away, he pulled her around to face him. "Ichigo, that battle, I can't remember most of it. I don't remember what I did and I don't remember if I hurt you or the others. Ichigo did I hurt you?" the boy's voice grew anxious and more frantic, his wide eyes begging Ichigo to deny it. "No. You didn't hurt me." The red head answered, knowing that she wasn't lying but also wasn't telling the whole truth. "Why don't you remember any of it?" she questioned more to change the subject than to actually figure out the cause. She wasn't really worried, many people attempted to forget traumatic events and that battle had been pretty traumatic. But Masaya's next words hinted it was much more than just selective memory. "Ichigo, I don't even remember what you are sometimes." His eyes watered. Ichigo stared at him, wondering what that could mean. "Like you forget me? You can't remember me?" Her boyfriend shook his head and frowned. "No I still know you and I know how I feel about you, but sometimes I forget that you're a Mew Mew and it's like I'm finding out all over again. I don't know how to explain it." He sighed and laid back against the ground. Ichigo laid beside him, tucking herself into his side. "I don't want to forget." He whispered as Ichigo wrapped her arms around him. "We can see if Ryou and Keiichiro can figure anything out." She suggested but Masaya shook his head. "I don't want to go to them until it's absolutely necessary. It's probably all in my head anyway." He chuckled, playing it off. Ichigo could tell from the look on his face that he couldn't even convince himself.

Masaya shook her awake as the sun was going down. "Did I really fall asleep on one of our dates again?" She giggled and he pulled her off the ground. "Don't worry I didn't mind. You're actually quite cute when you sleep. You drool." Ichigo stopped, her face turning red. "I did not!" Masaya just laughed and pulled her along behind him to the entrance of the park. "Would you like to go get something to eat? There was one more thing I wanted to show you." Ichigo nodded and he smiled. '_I'm sure we're just making a fuss about nothing. Masaya seems fine to me. Maybe he's just been stressed since the battle and it's messing with his head' _Ichigo thought as she followed him. She couldn't have been more wrong.

Ichigo soon realized that they were following the border of the park and they had reached a very familiar part. "Hey Café Mew Mew used to be…Oh my gosh!" She exclaimed, seeing the café lit up in all its former beauty. Masaya laughed seeing how excited she was. "Ryou and Keiichiro got bored and decided to reopen. They called me yesterday and I figured you'd like to come back." Ichigo barely heard him as she had taken the lead and was dragging Masaya along at a sprint towards the café. They burst through the door and were greeted by the bosses and the other Mews all in their café outfits. "Why was I the only one not aware of this?" Ichigo demanded, pulling the others in for a group hug. Once the reunion (and Ichigo) had calmed down and all were seated around a large table, Ichigo looked happily around. "It's like the whole group's back together." Zakuro, who had been off in America filming that movie she had previously given up, glanced uneasily at the other girls, who all had been busy with their own endeavors. Lettuce had been awarded an internship to study wildlife in Africa while Mint had been touring with a dance company around the world. Of course Pudding had been busy enough, running her family and had also taken some time to train with her father. Ryou cleared his throat, and always having been the blunt one, finally told Ichigo the truth. "Don't get to comfortable with it. The girls just came back for one night. We're hiring new help in the morning." He paused to let it sink in. Smirking, he added "Of course if you can't live without seeing me every day I could be persuaded to give you your job back." Keiichiro nudged him and gave Ichigo a charming smile. "What he means to say is that if you'd like, we really appreciate having you back here." She nodded absentmindedly but was busy glaring at the other Mews. "What do you mean you're not coming back? That movie's got to be about done now Zakuro. Mint, you and Lettuce said your things were only for a few months! Pudding you can't tell me you don't miss working here." She glanced at each one in turn, earning ashamed looks from Pudding and Lettuce but rather annoyed looks from Zakuro and Mint. "Ichigo it's time to move on. Being a Mew was fun and all and I'm glad we helped everyone but that's over. I've got my career to focus on as does Mint and Lettuce. Pudding's got to take care of her family. Ichigo you're the only one who hasn't done anything since the battle." Zakuro said. Everyone looked at Ichigo, and she turned her face. "Sorry I wanted us to be a team again." She muttered. Mint sighed. "There's nothing wrong with us getting together and hanging out when we can and of course we'll always be there if you need us, but it's over Ichigo. The aliens have gone, Deep Blue is dead and…" whatever Mint was going to say was cut off as Masaya jumped back from the table. "What is it?" Ichigo asked in concern, not knowing what had startled him. "Deep Blue is….dead? He can't….He can't be dead." He looked around as though he didn't know where he was. He turned back to the Mew team, looking furious. "You killed me!" he screamed and plummeted to the floor.

**Ooohh it's heating up. I think. Reviews and feedback would be appreciated. Thanks for reading! Again I'd love to know what you think so far and what you want to happen, I'm always open to suggestions.**

**-C.C.**


	3. Chapter 3

Off The Deep End Chapter 2

A Lost Memory

**Ummm so Masaya's decided to be a little difficult right now and apparently is going to give me writer's block. Which is basically laziness. But I'm working on figuring out where this is all going and I think this is going to end up being a lot longer than it thought. Maybe. Once again I do not own TMM or MMP which is good because you'd be waiting forever for new episodes and they'd all be the same cause I wouldn't come up with new ideas. And Ichigo and Kish would be together but you know I'm not still upset about that or anything pssshhh**

Ichigo watched Masaya's labored breathing as he continued to sleep. Soon after he passed out he had begun to toss and turn about, as though fighting something in his sleep. Keiichiro had suggested taking him to a cot in the lab so that he could rest and they could run some tests to make sure he was alright. Ichigo had felt that she needed to tell them about the memory problem Masaya had confessed. Though Ryou and Keiichiro had looked a little alarmed, they had assured her it was nothing to worry about. She sat by his side, holding his hand and wiping sweat off of his face. "Do you think this could have anything to do with Deep Blue? I mean he did scream that we had killed him." Ichigo asked Keiichiro who was working on the computer behind her. "It's very possible. However, to be honest Ichigo, I really don't know what's happening to him. I've never dealt with someone who is really just an alternate personality to someone else. Especially if that someone else is dead." Keiichiro sighed and Ichigo let the conversation end, knowing that he really didn't know what was going on. Ryou had gone upstairs to make them some dinner, as it was getting late, and the other Mews had left after making sure Ichigo was alright. "Why don't they want to be Mews anymore?" Ichigo wondered out loud. This earned another sigh from Keiichiro. He got up from the computer and stood next to Ichigo, waiting until she had turned to face him to speak. "Ichigo, it wasn't an easy time for any of you. Though secretly I think they all loved being super heroes, it was also a lot of work. They just want to be normal girls now. They want to go to school and hang out with friends without having to worry about aliens popping out every few minutes. They all gave up a lot to stay here to be a part of the Mew project, but for now, it looks like the Mew project is over." Ichigo nodded, finally understand why the girls wouldn't want to be Mews. Hadn't Ichigo once yelled the same thing? That she just wanted to be a normal girl who could go out without having to worry that her ears would come out or that she'd have to fight a chimera animal? But Ichigo also knew that the need to protect people was ingrained as deeply in the Mews as the animal DNA was. The others could travel across the world but as soon as the world needed them again, they would be back. Team Mew Mew would once again be there to serve the world. In the meantime, how could Ichigo blame them for trying to pick their lives up where they left off? Keiichiro was right, they all had basically put their lives on hold when they became the Mew Mews. It had been four months, it was time for things to go back to normal.

Ryou finally returned with the food, placing a plate of chips and a ham sandwich in front of Keiichiro and Ichigo. "Really? It took you that long to make sandwiches?" she asked sarcastically. He rolled his eyes and snatched the plate back. "Well then ungrateful." Ichigo giggled despite herself and quickly apologized, desperately wanting a bite of that sandwich as she hadn't eaten in hours. "He hasn't woken up or anything?" Ryou asked, looking over some charts Keiichiro had been printing out. "No but he's getting increasingly active. His heart rate's as though he's running a marathon! I just can't figure out what's wrong." Keiichiro turned to look over his patient. Ichigo stayed quiet. A dark, frightening thought was forming but she didn't want to give voice to it. Masaya thrashed out, narrowly missing Ichigo. "It's like he's….fighting." Keiichiro said, his eyes widening. "You don't think…?" He stopped looking at Ryou. Ryou shook his head, signaling that it was a discussion for later. "Guys I think I should get to know what you're talking about." Ichigo grumbled, still hating the way they kept secrets from her and the others. Ryou threw her his signature smirk. "I know you want to be in the middle of everything but there's no use in us getting you all worked up about something that's just an idea. We'll talk about and do some research and when we've got some substantial evidence we'll let you know what's going on. Until then I really think you should be getting home." Ichigo opened her mouth to protest but Ryou pushed her up the stairs and through the café. "I promise I will call if anything drastic happens." Ichigo nodded but Ryou still noticed the worried look on her face. Ryou hushed her before she could say anything. "Keiichiro's taking care of him. That's about as good as any doctor in the city. He's going to be okay. No go before your dad has the police knocking down the door looking for you." He chuckled and ushered her outside. He firmly closed the door and Ichigo heard the click of the lock.

The ring of the house phone woke Ichigo right before her mom busted in her room to tell her that "the cute blonde guy from the café" was calling. She grabbed the phone from her mom, closed the door and pressed it to her ear. "So your mom thinks I'm cute yeah?" Ryou asked and Ichigo knew he was smirking. "Yes she does now get over your ego and tell me how Masaya is." She demanded, not wanting to waste any time with Ryou's usual teasing. "There's no change but I think we may have an idea…" Ichigo cut him off. "I'll be there in ten minutes." She hung up the phone and yanked her clothes on. "Is everything okay?" her mom asked as Ichigo whipped the door open and bolted down stairs. "Yeah mom. Masaya was sick yesterday but hopefully he'll be better." Not waiting for an answer, she ran outside and down the street. So focused was she on reaching the café, she nearly ran over Lettuce who was walking up the street to her house. "Oh! Lettuce I'm sorry I didn't even see you there." She quickly apologized, hoping she wouldn't have to stay and talk. "It's okay, I was just coming to see if you were going to head down to the café. I was going to walk with you." Lettuce gave her a small comforting smile and Ichigo felt herself getting choked up. She didn't respond and Lettuce let her walk in silence with her thoughts. It was one of the things Ichigo loved about her. With the other girls, except Zakuro probably, she would be pressed to talk about how she felt. Pudding would probably make up some extravagant story about how this was all a romantic plot dreamt up by Masaya, and Mint would find a way to make this whole thing about herself. After a few minutes of silence, Lettuce's small voice broke through Ichigo's thoughts. "Zakuro and I are the only ones working the café. I didn't think you'd want Mint and Pudding around. I love them but they're not…right… for this kind of situation." Ichigo nodded but then noticed something. "I thought you guys weren't working at the café anymore." Lettuce responded with a small smile and looked a little sheepish. "We figured you needed us to hang around until everything got sorted out."Ichigo reached out and pulled her into a hug. "Thanks." They finished the walk to the café in silence but she was feeling infinitely better.

Her uplifted mood lasted only until they reached the café. Ryou was standing in the doorway with Keiichiro close behind. "Before you ask he still hasn't woken up. But we need to talk about something." They followed him into the café, sitting around the same table from the night before. Zakuro emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of breakfast pastries. "Knowing you," she placed them in front of Ichigo, "you ran out of the house without getting anything to eat." With anyone else, Ichigo would have yelled that it wasn't exactly a time to be worrying about food but she knew it was Zakuro's way of saying she cared. Ignoring the plate of food, Ichigo waited for the boys to tell them what they had found. Keiichiro took a deep breath and everyone turned to look at him. "I don't think his problem is human."

***A Few light years away***

"Sir, we've been contacted from earth. I've got the message here for you." A lithe alien girl handed her superior the message. Kisshu smiled. "It looks like my Kitten wants me back on earth."

**Mwahahaha Kish is baaaaack! Thanks for reading and please review. Again any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated but I do think I finally know where I want to go with this.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Off The Deep End Chapter 3-Coming Back Down**

**This chapter is going to be from Kish's perspective. I'd like to say it's to increase the suspense about Masaya but it's really because I'm having writer's block about what to do with him. So….let's have some fun with Kish! As always reviews and feedback would be greatly appreciated! I do not own TMM or MMP**

As soon as Kisshu had been told that the Mews needed him on earth, he had assembled a team to prepare his ship. There were many people under Kish and they all carried out their duties, not questioning why he was returning to earth so suddenly. When Kish and the others had returned to their planet with the Mew Aqua, they had been hailed as heroes. Though they were still young, they had quickly been given control over much of their planet. Granted they still had the Elders who truly led the government, but the young Cyniclons had basically built their society from the ground up. Kisshu knew there would be a lot of trouble from the others when they found out he was leaving but he also knew that even if she had rejected him once, he could never say no to Ichigo. His thoughts drifted to her (honestly they were never very far from her) and he didn't notice the figures floating towards him as he loaded various piles of clothes and weapons onto his ship. "Going somewhere Kishy?" Tart's nasally voice startled him, causing him to drop his bundle. Pie picked a jacket up off the floor. "I believe earth is currently in the season they call summer. You won't be needing this." He handed the fabric to the green haired alien and glared. Kish looked a little ashamed but then raised his head. "Ichigo needs me." Pie sighed and Tart snorted. "Chasing the cat again?" the younger alien laughed, making kissy faces at Kish. "Look, we own them. They helped us defeat Deep Blue and they gave us the Mew Aqua. I'm doing this for all of them, not just Ichigo. I'm over her." Kish pushed past them and onto the ship. Pie followed, laying a hand on the younger alien's shoulder. "Kisshu, I know you still have feelings for her but you can not throw everything we have worked so hard for away. Our people need you here." His dark eyes looked sadly into Kish's. The green haired alien shook his head and continued down the hall of the ship, "You don't know anything. Our people will be fine and I should only be gone a short time. Plus you and Tart will be here to keep things in order."Kish finally found his room, a bit larger than the other rooms on the ship as he was technically the captain. He laid on top of the clothes, rubbing his hands down his face. "Kish, you need to let her go. You made your play for her and she refused. Don not hurt yourself more by flying back to earth every time she has a little problem." Pie crossed his legs and hovered over the end of the bed. Kish sat up, glaring at the alien. "I told you I'm over her. Either way, I know Ichigo and I know how proud she is. She wouldn't ask for help if it wasn't something she knew she couldn't fix herself." Kish fought back a smile as he remembered all the times the cat girl had been near death but refused to surrender or call for help. He knew Ichigo was strong and stubborn, that had been one of the first things he had loved about her. Pie noticed the younger alien's distraction and sighed. "Tart and I will gather our things and be back on the ship within an hour." Kish looked at him, confused. "You did not really think we were going to let you run off to earth by yourself? You are our family Kisshu and you do not let family go off by themselves." Before Kish could respond, he was floating quickly down the hallway. The air rippled near Kish's head and Tart appeared in the air. "It's true. No matter how annoying you can be, you're still one of us. If one goes we all go." Tart followed Pie out the door. Kish laid back against the pile of clothes, wondering if Pie was right. "I'm over the cat." He said out loud to himself. But even as he said it her face filled his mind. Back when he had been her enemy, he had loved watching her fight. She was so graceful yet powerful at the same time. Though she had a tendency to not think things through, she was level headed and smart. Kish sighed, knowing that no matter how many times he said it, he would never be over Ichigo. There was just something about her that set her apart from everyone else. When the boys had returned from earth, they had been welcomed as heroes and as heroes had many fans. All of the beautiful Cyniclon girls vied for Kish's attention and a few had gotten it, but they never lasted long. All of them had this view of him in their heads, to them he was perfect and beautiful and amazing. He knew that if he said the word they would do whatever he wanted. Kish didn't want any of that. He wanted someone who fought him every step of the way, someone who knew all his flaws and knew he wasn't perfect. Someone who put him in his place and held their ground. Someone like Ichigo. But as much as Kish knew he wanted her, he knew that would never happen. She had her human boy and though it killed him inside, Kish had meant what he said when he left her. More than anything he just wanted her to be happy. Kish floated off the bed and made a pact with himself. He would get over Ichigo, no matter what it took.

As promised, Tart and Pie were back on the ship in less than an hour. By now the news of their departure had spread and a few people were there to see them off. At the front of the crowd was their mother and father who ran up the ramp to embrace their boys. "Why must you go again so soon?" their mother cried, hugging them tightly. "It does not matter why. All that matters is that they do their duty and they return home safe. I'm sure The Elders have their reasons for sending them off again." Their father said, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder. She nodded and with a last sniffle, wiped the tears from her cheeks. Kish and Pie exchanged uneasy looks. "Well Mother, The Elders aren't actually the ones sending us to earth. I'm not even sure if they know about it yet." Kish said, smiling sheepishly. She gave her adopted son a confused look. "What do you mean? Why would you go to ear…oh!" She stopped, smiling happily up at Kish who was at least a foot taller than her. "What?" He asked, wondering why his mother was suddenly so happy that he was leaving. "Well of course you're going to see your girlfriend Ichigo." She beamed and Kish rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "Mom, she's not my…" But Pie cut him off, stepping in to hug his mom. "Of course he is. And we could not let him go by himself so we will be accompanying him." He hugged her tightly before releasing her to hug his father. Each of the boys was embraced and they bid their parents, and their people goodbye. As the ship took off, Kish cast a last look down at the receding planet.

It would take them about two days to reach earth and Kish knew he had to get his feelings in check before they arrived. The others, sensing he was deep in thought, left him alone in his room. Kish laid on his bed, wondering what his kitten had been doing in the past months. He wondered if she was still with Masaya. _Well of course she is. She died for him, a few months wouldn't change feelings that strong. Not like he's going to remember her doing that anyway._ He thought to himself. Soon enough, Masaya wouldn't remember much of anything.

**I don't know if you noticed but Pie doesn't use any conjunctions ( which are words like can't or don't) because whenever I think of Pie I think about how proper and serious he is. I'm feeling really bad for Kish though **** Please review! Thanks for reading. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4- Not As Easy As It Seems**

**Hopefully I can stop feeling so guilty about making Kish sad but oh whale. Please review and let me know if you like where I'm going with this and if you want me to keep writing. Again I'm always open to suggestions. Thanks for reading! I sadly do not own TMM or MMP.**

The ship landed behind the café, it's cute rounded roof welcoming the aliens back. Kish put off entering the café for as long as possible, even volunteering to place the shield over the ship. The shield was a manipulation of the ships force field that allowed it to blend into the background, from a distance it looked like a normal patch of grass and trees. When you got closer you could tell that something was off but it wasn't drastic enough to call attention to it. The shield took a bit of time and energy to construct and Kisshu was up to his elbows in wires from the control panel of the ship in a matter of minutes. He kept himself occupied, concentrating on correctly connecting the wires instead of thinking about how he would soon be face to face with Ichigo. So deep in thought was he that he didn't hear the approach of padded boots onto the ship. A hand tapped his shoulder and he turned to tell Tart for the tenth time that he didn't need any help. However, when he saw who it was, he was speechless. "Hi Kish." Ichigo's voice flowed into him, he'd forgotten just how wonderful it sounded. His eyes quickly took her in, she seemed to have grown more beautiful that the last time he had seen her, if that was even possible. She gave him a sheepish grin and he couldn't help but return it. Kish rose to his feet and was startled to realize that he had actually grown taller than her. Her head only came to his shoulder now. "Wow you got tall." She smiled and looked up at him. He nodded, "You look wonderful Kitty Cat." He chuckled, using his old nickname for her. "Thank you for coming." She suddenly turned somber, her wide maroon eyes meeting his. They watered slightly and she opened her mouth as if to say more. Kish cut her off. "Anything for you." She looked at him in silence for a while and Kish suddenly remembered the pact he had made with himself. "We owe you Mews, you know, for giving us the Mew Aqua." Ichigo snapped out of her trance and nodded. "Yeah how's that working out for you anyways?" She asked, happy to change the subject. Kish smiled, he always enjoyed talking about all the progress his home had made. "It's absolutely beautiful. There's grass and trees and hills and animals. We've been able to start growing food and everyone finally has enough to eat. No one has to go hungry anymore. It's more that we could have ever asked for." Kish blushed and looked down. "Not to mention since we came back we've basically been treated like heroes. I can't go anywhere without getting mobbed by fans." He laughed quietly and Ichigo joined him. "Sounds like quite the life." She said a little wistfully. Kish didn't know it but Ichigo was secretly wondering what her life would have been like if she had gone with him after the last battle. Would she have been hailed a hero? Would people have created fan clubs in her honor? Most importantly, would she have been happy? "We should go to the café and then we'll explain what's going on." She broke herself from her thoughts to lead the alien off of the ship. As he walked behind her all Kish could think was that he had been terribly wrong. Seeing Ichigo again was not as easy as he thought it would be. In fact, it was downright miserable.

Ichigo couldn't believe how many feelings had been stirred up by seeing Kish. All the hurt and loss she had felt after the battle was fresh and she didn't know if she could take it again. She risked a glance behind her to see the green haired alien rubbing his head. "Headache?" She asked. He gave a humorless chuckle. "Something like that." Ichigo frowned and faced the café again. A part of her felt awful for asking him to come help Masaya but the other part knew they desperately needed his help, no matter how much it hurt. She shook her head. Now was not the time to dwell on past feelings, she needed to focus on curing Masaya. She had chosen him hadn't she? Ichigo pulled open the café door to see Pudding holding on to Tart's leg and Lettuce blushing at something Pie had said. "Pudding let go will you?" Tart's voice pleaded with the blonde to release him. Pudding giggled and proceeded to wrap herself more tightly around the alien's leg. "Let's get down to business." Ichigo said.

The girls broke away from the aliens and went to sit at a table. The Mews sat on one side while the aliens sat on the other. Ichigo took a deep breath and began to explain. "You all know my boyfriend Masaya." Out of the corner of her eye, Ichigo saw Kish tense and close his fist. "Yes, the human boy who was really the Blue Knight and Deep Blue." Pie responded when he saw that Kisshu wasn't going to. "Yeah well something's happened. He's been forgetting things, like the battle and the fact that I'm a Mew Mew. A few days ago he was here at the café and we were talking about Deep Blue's death. Masaya screamed and then he passed out. He hasn't woken up since." The aliens exchanged looks, and Ichigo could tell something was up. "What?" She asked. The aliens seemed to come to an agreement, communicating with their eyes. Kish sighed and spoke up. "I thought something like this would happen." Ichigo was suddenly outraged. "You knew this could happen and you didn't think to tell me? We could have prevented this!" She slammed her palm against the table, standing up and stalking around it to get in Kish's face. "Actually you couldn't have done a single thing to stop it. Now will you sit down and let me explain?" He questioned her calmly, not surprised that he was angry. She glared at him for a second more before giving a sharp nod and retreating back to her seat. "As I was saying, I figured this would happen, though I didn't see the point in alarming you before you understood what was going on." Pie nodded to show he agreed with what Kish was saying. Kisshu continued, "When we were still fighting you Mews we actually had some experience with this kind of thing. It's called Hosting. Hosting is when a Cyniclon temporarily projects himself into the body of a human or any other creature. We tried to use it to spy on you but found that we didn't have enough energy to keep it up for more than a few minutes at a time. Once we realized that Deep Blue was Hosting Masaya, we understood why he had been basically in a coma for so long." Kish stopped to make sure everyone was still following him. When he saw they were, he spoke again. "Deep Blue had figured out a way to conserve his energy and Host a body for as long as he needed. But we also noticed something else with our Hosting experiments. Once we left the body, the human quickly forgot what they had been doing for the time we had been Hosting. It was like one minute, they were freaking out because their body had been taken over, and then boom! They carried on like nothing was wrong." Kisshu waited for what he was saying to sink in. The other Mews looked confused but Ichigo looked horrified. "Masaya was Hosted for most of his life." She whispered. Kish nodded. "I think that's why it's taking so long for him to forget. There's a lot of time his brain has to erase. That's also probably why he's asleep. I think his brain's coming up with an alternate life." Ichigo looked like she was going to say something but Kish put his hand up to stop her. "It happened to some of the bodies we Hosted. If they didn't forget what had happened, they'd sit still for a few minutes and then get up and suddenly have some task they were supposed to do wherever we had taken them. Their minds had come up with an explanation for why they were there. I believe that's what Masaya's brain is doing." Ichigo got up from the table and ran outside. The Mews got up to follow but Pie stopped them. "I think Kisshu needs to talk to Ichigo first. He knows more about what is going on." They nodded and watched as Kish followed the red haired waitress out the door.

He quickly caught up to her and turned her to face him. "Ichigo I'm not saying he's going to forget you." He gently wiped a tear from her cheek. "But you're not saying he's going to remember me either." She sat on a bench, holding her head in her hands. "Honestly Ichigo, I don't know what he's going to remember. I can't tell you if he'll remember anything or everything about you. All I know is his brain is trying to explain things that have been happening to him since he was little. That's going to take a while. You don't have to worry about what he's going to remember just yet. You've got some time to come up with a plan." Ichigo shrugged in defeat. "But what if I can't come up with a plan?" Kish grasped her chin in his fingers and pulled her head up to make eye contact with him. "I know you Ichigo. You've always got a plan."

**Maybe next chapter I can get some KishXIchigo fluff? All depends on how Masaya's feeling by then :p Anywhoo I'd love some feedback so if you like the story so far and want me to keep writing please review! If you let me know what you want to happen I may squeeze it into the next couple of chapters! Thanks for reading **


	6. Chapter 6

**Off The Deep End Chapter 5-You're Looking A Little Blue**

**I feel bad about what I'm about to do but I'm also slightly excited. Forgive me! I am however, having a bad case of writer's block concerning how to approach awakening Masaya. Oh whale we can have some more fun with Kish until I figure it out. Please review and let me know what you think or if you've got any idea of how I should deal with Masaya! I do not own TMM or MMP.**

It had been a few days since the aliens arrival and Masaya still hadn't awoken. Ichigo was sitting alone on a park bench, allowing the wind to blow her hair into a tangled mess. She was at a loss. She had no clue what she would do if Masaya woke up and didn't remember who she was. Their relationship had been hard enough the first time they fell in love, she really wasn't looking forward to going through all of the secrets and lies again. She dropped her head into her hands, for at least the hundredth time in the past week, and groaned. "Come on Kitty don't look so down." She had to grin. Ichigo had missed having Kish show up randomly. "Ugh. I just want something to happen you know? I'm tired of waiting. For better or for worse I want there to be a change." She looked up through her fingers at Kisshu. The alien gave her a small smile and pulled her off the bench. "Come on. You don't need to be sitting around moping. Let's have some fun." He began leading her through the park. "Um Kish? What exactly do you plan to do?" Ichigo laughed as Kish stopped in his tracks and scratched his head. "I don't know. What is it you humans do for fun?" Shaking her head, Ichigo took the lead.

A few minutes later they were standing in front of a dark building. "Uh Ichigo? Does your idea of fun usually involve going to sketchy places?" Kish asked looking a little concerned. "Hey you trust me right?" She didn't wait for his answer but pulled him into the building behind her. The inside was dimly lit by a black light. Ichigo turned to say something to Kisshu but then burst out laughing. "What?" he looked behind him, more than a little confused. "You're fangs, they glow under the black light." She attempted to stop but Kish gave her a toothy grin that fueled her giggling. "So when you're quite done would you like to tell me where we are?" Ichigo finally gathered enough oxygen to answer. "We're at laser tag." She groaned when she noticed Kish's bewildered look. "Laser tag. They give you a laser and you shoot at people to earn points." She explained. Kisshu's eyes widened. "Is that safe?" Ichigo had to restrain herself from slapping a hand to her face. "Kish it's not a real laser. Just watch those kids in there." She pointed to a group of kids wearing glowing targets and chasing each other with plastic guns. Glancing over, she saw Kish grinning in anticipation. "Let's destroy these little humans!" he cheered, slipping into a target vest and arming himself. Ichigo laughed and got ready for the game.

It didn't take very long for Ichigo to realize that Kish was taking this game a little too seriously. He promptly ignored the rules and scaled the walls to attack the kids from above. Within minutes he had the children huddling together in a corner. Ichigo watched as Kisshu teleported himself right in the middle of them. They all screamed and scrambled over themselves to get away while he held some of them down in order to shoot their targets. Pulling him off, she patted his back. "Easy there. It's just a game. No need to scar the children. Literally." She helped a kid up and apologized. Kish smiled sheepishly and Ichigo had to admit that it had been fun. They returned the gear to the front desk, while Kish was glared at by every mother in the joint, and decided to head back to the café. "Well that was…different." Ichigo finally said. Kish beamed at her. "Did you see me? Those kids were total losers. 'Oh please mister don't shoot me.' 'Sir I think you're a bit too old to be playing in here.' What a bunch of babies." Kish mimicked. Ichigo rolled her eyes. "Well you know not everyone has alien powers and has been trained as a warrior. Some kids don't even know how to teleport." Kisshu faked shock. "I needed this Kish. Thanks."

Kisshu walked Ichigo back through the park. Keeping his promise to himself to stop liking her was defiantly harder than he had expected. But then, when had anything ever been easy with her? He sighed and purposely put a little distance between them. Ichigo inched closer again and she grinned up at him. Once again he scooted over and once again she followed.

"Would you quit!" He yelled, startling both himself and her. "Wha.." she started to ask but Kish cut her off. "Please don't get any closer to me." She stopped walking, crossing her arms. "I'm sorry but did I do something wrong? Have I offended you in some way?" She asked, her voice hard. Kisshu gave a humorless chuckle. "Ichigo I'm trying so hard to ignore everything I feel for you but you're not making this any easier. You act like you like me. You smile and giggle and walk close to me. You take me to play laser tag for hours, you tolerate the fact that I looked like a freak back there. So tell me now, do you have feelings for me or not?" Ichigo was startled, not having expected this at all. "I'm sorry if I've led you on. I never meant to make you think I liked you as anything more than a friend." She lied, knowing that she could never be so cold hearted as to cheat on her boyfriend while he was in a coma. Kish's ears drooped. "Then I think it would be better if we weren't even that." She opened her mouth to protest but Kisshu stopped her with another cold laugh. "Ichigo, it's bad enough that you chose Masaya over me in the first place, but then you ask me to come cure him and help fix his memory so he can remember how in love you two are. It's basically like stabbing myself in the back. It hurts ok? And I've promised myself that I wouldn't let any of my feelings interfere with this but that's obviously not working out. So I think it would be better for both of us, and for Masaya, if I just stop pretending like I'm ok with all of this. I don't, no I can't, be friends with you anymore." He turned away from her and walked to the café. Before he went in, he glanced back to see Ichigo standing in the middle of the pathway.

The next day, Kisshu and Ichigo successfully avoided each other. Though the aliens had taken over some of the girls duties in the café, they knew their ears were too hard to hide so they kept mostly to the kitchen. Since Ryou and Keiichiro had reopened, and the girls seemed like they would be sticking around until this whole Masaya thing was resolved, the place had suddenly come alive again. Each day they were swamped with people and Keiichiro was in desperate need of a few extra hands. Tart was surprisingly good at baking, and Pie and Kish were good at carrying the food to the waitresses. Kisshu managed to manipulate it to where he would take orders to every girl but Ichigo, a fact that was not lost on anyone of the café workers. The day almost ended uneventfully but right before the girls left for home, Ryou called them all into the basement. Masaya laid on the cot in the middle of the room, covered in a fresh sheet of sweat. "We've got a problem." Ryou stated and everyone waited for him to continue.

"We think someone is trying to Host him."

**Dun Dun DUUUUNNN! I decided to get this chapter posted tonight as for the next few days I don't know what time I will have to write and post. I promised some Kish and Ichigo fluff but about halfway through I realized I'd have to break it up since she still has a boyfriend. So I made Kish sad again and now things are really awkward….. Anyway please review and let me know if you like it! Who do you think is Hosting Masaya?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Of The Deep End Chapter 6- You're In Deep**

**Sorry for the wait I was really busy this weekend! At least I've had some time to figure out what to do with Masaya. Please review and tell me what you think. I do not own TMM or MMP**

"Ichigo looked at Masaya lying on the cot. His face was distorted with fear as he fought something in his unconscious. "Is that why he's been having bad dreams?" She asked gesturing towards him as he writhed. Ryou nodded at Keiichiro, deciding it would be best for him to explain. "We believe that he's trying to fight whoever it is. He remembers enough to know he doesn't want it to happen again." Keiichiro said. He glanced at Ryou who gave a small nod. Ichigo saw the exchange and knew there was something they weren't telling them. "What? Do you know who might it might be?" She demanded and Ryou glanced at her. "You don't want to know." He stated and Ichigo crossed her arms. "Yes actually, I do." He sighed and gave her a sympathetic look.

"I think Deep Blue is back."

A few hours later Ichigo was lying face down on her bed, tears soaking her pillow. It was bad enough that her boyfriend was in a coma and that someone was trying to take over his body, but then she had to find out that the someone was one of her greatest enemies. Her thoughts returned to the basement and the conversation that had followed.

"Wha…what? He's dead!" the red head exclaimed, her cat ears popping out at her sudden rush of fear. Keiichiro sadly shook his head. "We thought he was. We've never actually dealt with something like this so of course we couldn't have known." He stopped and everyone but the aliens stared at him. The aliens had huddled together, creating their own quiet little meeting.

"I was afraid this might have happened." Pie whispered. The other Cyniclons looked at his questioningly. "I will explain but let us see what the humans think." The group turned back to their human companions who were still trying to figure out what exactly had happened.

Pie cleared his throat and they stopped talking. Taking a step forward, he told them his thesis. "I believe that when Deep Blue realized how close he was to death, he transferred some of his energy back to the place his body stayed while he Hosted Masaya. Therefor when Masaya killed himself, he only weakened Deep Blue, he did not kill him. These past few months Deep Blue has been regaining energy and waiting for the right time to return. He knew that Masaya would not remember what had happened so he would be an easy body to Host again, especially since he does not have many memories of when he was not Hosted." Keiichiro had darted to his computer, taking printing out charts and showing them to Ryou. "I believe you are right. I'm getting the similar readings to what we got when Deep Blue was attacking the girls but it is a lot weaker. Do you think there's any way we can stop him from fully regaining control of Masaya's body?" Ichigo's eyes flitted to Pie, hoping that there was some way help Masaya. Pie shook his head. "We'd have to kill him."

Ichigo had left after that, not knowing what she was supposed to say. She knew that she could never give the okay to kill Masaya. At the same time, if they didn't do anything, Deep Blue would return and sooner or later it would come to the point where they would have to kill or be killed. As she stared at the ceiling of her room, she heard a knock. Opening her bedroom door, she was confused when she saw both of her parents down stairs. The knock came again and this time she realized it was coming from her window. She turned and saw a familiar mess of green hair floating outside. "Kish what are you doing here?" she asked while prying the window open. He flew into the room and landed on her bed before answering. "No matter what I said earlier, and no matter how I feel, you're hurting right now and I can't abandon you." Ichigo felt her eyes fill with tears. She hadn't really had time to think through what had happened earlier with Kisshu, but even she couldn't ignore the fact that he was here despite him not wanting to be around her. She had never realized just how much Kish really cared for her. "Why don't you want to be around me anymore?" She asked, her voice hoarse from crying. Kisshu's eyes softened when they met her maroon ones and he gave a small smile. "Ichigo you know that I wish I could always be around you. But it's better for both of us if I'm not." She shook her head, not quite understanding. "I can try to be more distant or whatever, I mean, we don't have to hang out like we did yesterday." If she was being honest with herself, she had had a lot of fun yesterday, more fun than she'd had in months. Kish sighed. "Ichigo, my problem is, no matter how close or distant you act, everything you do overwhelms me. Even when you hated me, I still thought you were the sweetest, most beautiful person I had ever met. I did everything I could to save you but also complete the job I had been sent to Earth for." His golden eyes stared into Ichigo's, she felt a warm feeling bubbling up in her stomach, a feeling she wasn't ready to face yet. She turned her face, blushing. "I never understood why you never let your chimera animals kill me. Or why you didn't do it yourself while I was distracted by them." Ichigo shrugged, looking back towards him. "I don't truly think I could have ever killed you. That's why I turned against Deep Blue. Anyone who could see you, beautiful lively you, and want to kill you, they couldn't care about anybody. Ichigo, you're the epitome of what I was fighting for. I wanted beauty and life for my planet, but I refused to do it by taking that life from here." Kish's eyes watered with emotion as he gazed at her. Ichigo was a little taken aback. Yes, she knew that Kisshu had been attracted to her since the day they met but she had never understood how deep his feelings for her went, never realized that Kish saw her as more than a trophy to be won. "I always thought you just wanted me because I refused you and because I was leader of the Mews." She said. It was true, besides her love for Masaya, a main reason she had never even thought romantically of Kisshu was her position. Of course the enemy would want to seduce the leader of his opposition, what better way to take them down? Now she knew she had been wrong about that. "Ichigo, I love you because whether you're a cat or you're a human, you are beautiful. You are strong and courageous but soft and loving at the same time. You're so many wonderful things that I love. I love that you're scatterbrained and late to everything yet you put so much passion into everything you do. I love everything about you." His voice got softer as he leaned towards her. Ichigo felt herself pulled towards him, it felt like the very gravity of earth had turned to help pull them together. She stared at his lips, wondering how warm they would feel against her own.

The phone rang.

They both sprang away from each other. Ichigo blushed and Kish rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little disappointed. "Are you going to answer that?" he asked her as her cat ears popped out in embarrassment. She yanked the phone out of the cradle and pressed it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Ichigo it's Ryou. Get to the café now. Masaya's awake."

**Awww poor Kishy Kish. Almost got a kiss from Ichigo. Oh whale. Please review and let me know what you think. If you want a Kish/Ichigo kiss you've got to let me know! Tell me what you want to happen and who you want to get together. I'm thinking of doing some Pie and Lettuce fluff next chapter but I'm not sure. I really don't like any of the ships that don't include Ichigo but I guess Pie/Lettuce is my second favorite after Kish/Ichigo. Please review/favorite/follow! Thanks for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Of The Deep End Chapter 7- Rainy Season**

**Ok so I don't usually like to do stuff like this but this chapter is sort of based off of the song "Rainy Season" by Hunter Hayes. The part of it that goes with the song doesn't really start until later in the chapter so it might be better if you listen to the song after reading. Please let me know what you think! I do not own TMM or MMP but I'd really appreciate some feedback!**

"He's awake." Ichigo told Kisshu, pressing the phone back into its cradle. His face was still a little red and he didn't make eye contact with her. "Ok let's go." Before she could respond, Kish pulled her close to him. "Wha…" she started to ask before everything went black.

"Aaah!" Lettuce screamed as Kish and Ichigo appeared before her. She dropped a pile of plates to the floor with a crash. "You could have warned me." Ichigo scolded, slapping Kisshu's chest. He shrugged. "I figured you would want to get here fast." Ichigo ran to the basement, completely forgetting her irritation with Kish in her desire to see Masaya. Flinging the door open, she pounded down the stairs. Her eyes widened when she noticed Masaya still lying unconscious on the cot. She spotted Ryou leaning against the wall across from her.

"What the heck? You said he was awake!" She angrily stormed over to the blonde. "He's about to be. I just thought you'd like to be here when he did wake up." He gestured to Keiichiro who was monitoring her boyfriend's heartbeat. "He just came out of REM* a few minutes ago which means he should be waking up any moment now. We don't know how much he is going to remember so we wanted to make sure there was a familiar face here." Keiichiro said, beginning to detach some of the medical equipment from the unconscious boy's arms. "He knows you two and the rest of the Mews." Ichigo said, coming to stand next to the cot. She gazed down at Masaya, he looked so vulnerable and weak. "Yes but he's losing his memory Ichigo. He's known you the longest and you're the closest to him. If he remembers anyone it will be you." The red head nodded and sat in the chair near Masaya's head. Reaching over to hold his hand, she was just about to ask another question when she felt him stir.

"Ichigo?" His voice was hoarse. His eyes popped open and trained on her. "What's going on? Where am I?" He turned his head, trying to figure out his location. "You're at Café Mew Mew. Well, you're in the basement of Café Mew Mew." She explained softly, holding his hand.

"Café Mew Mew… you work here right?"

"Yes I do." Ichigo was a little worried, not knowing if it was memory loss or just confusion that caused him to ask the question. He pulled his hand from her grasp in order to cradle his head.

"What happened? I feel like I've been hit by a truck." He groaned, rubbing small circles on his temple. Ichigo quickly inserted herself underneath his upraised arm. "Don't worry about that right now. Let's just get you home and to your own bed." She pushed up, using her body to help lift him. He groaned at the sudden movement but did manage to hold himself steady. Ichigo hauled him a few feet, his greater weight making even this small movement difficult, and stared at the stair case. "Need some help Kitty Cat?" Kisshu's voice came from behind her and she turned her head to see him floating behind her. "Is that guy… floating?" Masaya asked. Before she could respond, he had passed out, his body nearly pushing her to the floor. "I'm gonna take that as a yes." Kish chuckled. He placed his hand on Ichigo and Masaya's backs before once again, everything went black.

Ichigo sat on the floor next to Masaya's bed two hours later. The dizziness from the teleporting had finally worn off and she silently stroked Masaya's dog. When she had arrived, after setting Masaya in the bed, she had dashed down stairs, suddenly remembering his parents. Thankfully, they had been on a vacation to America for the past two weeks and hadn't called to check up on Masaya. Considering no one had thought to call them to come up with some excuse as to Masaya's sudden disappearance, they were lucky they hadn't been home. All they needed was the police to come knocking down the Café door with a missing persons report. Now she was simply waiting for him to awaken and it was taking a long time. It had taken a few minutes for his dog to even let her touch him, probably due to the fact that Ichigo, Masaya and Kisshu had basically teleported right on top of him. Now he was cuddled into her lap, licking her face and helping to alleviate some of her boredom. Just when she was ready to go home and come back in a few hours, Masaya let out a groan. Ichigo popped up, startling Masaya who was sitting up. "What are you doing here?" He asked, his eyes bewildered. He clutched at the blankets to cover himself up but then realized he was fully clothed. "Umm what do you remember?" She asked, pushing herself up to sit on the bed at his feet. "I remember something about a basement and a floating dude. But I think the last part was just a dream." He rubbed his eyes and groaned again. "I've got a killer headache. Did I get knocked out at kendo practice or something?"

"You really don't remember anything about what happened? What about me? What do you remember about me?" Ichigo begs, hoping that the others were wrong.

***Start song now***

If Masaya really loved her he would remember right? He had to remember. They had done so much together, and a relationship like that would take a lot more than some alien creep to erase. Masaya looked a little confused and paused before answering. "I know you. And a few minutes ago I knew exactly who you were but now it's getting all muddled. I'm dating you though right?" Ichigo's heart plummeted and she felt tears welling up. "You really don't remember me? You can't remember everything we've done together or the cherry tree or our dates? You love me Masaya!" Her voice was frantic and hurt. Masaya's head jerked up suddenly and he looked at her keenly. "I do remember!" The red head's heart started beating again, this time it was thrilled. Masaya remembered her! However, the steely glint that entered his eyes quickly washed away her happiness. "Yeah. I remember that I loved you but you were always blowing me off. You were late to everything and that was if you happened to show up. You never explained why either, you would just blush and look sad and beg me to forgive you." His voice slowly rose and something clicked with Ichigo. He remembered her, but he couldn't remember about the Mews. He didn't know that every time she was late or a no show it was because she was saving the world. In his confused mind, all he saw was that the girl he loved couldn't even be bothered to give him a call to say she was running late. "The only thing I don't remember is why I stayed with you. You hurt me time and time again but I kept coming back. Not this time." He pushed himself angrily off the bed and stomped over to his bedroom door. Opening it, he glared at her. "I'd like you to leave." She sat there with her mouth open in shock. Though had known there would be a possibility that he wouldn't remember everything, she had never thought he could hate her. "Masaya I love you and you love me. Just because you don't remember some stuff…" but the boy cut her off with a cold voice. "I don't need to remember everything to know that you broke my heart. I gave you everything and you couldn't even give me an explanation. Now I would like it if you were to leave. Either that or I will call the cops." Startled, Ichigo made her way down to the front door. She opened it but turned back to look at him. He was close now, so close she could faintly smell his cologne. It reminded her of the times when they had laid in the park together, staring at the stars. He had pulled her into his arms and promised her forever. "Please don't do this. If you just wait I can explain everything." She pleaded, her voice barely louder than a whisper. Masaya's dark eyes, usually so filled with warmth were cold and unforgiving. "No. I gave you so many opportunities to explain and you denied every one of them. It's over Ichigo. I don't know why it took me so long." He closed the door firmly in her face, leaving her gaping on the door step. Her face was soaked with tears and as she finally turned to leave, it began to rain. "Great." She sobbed, wrapping her arms around her chest to hold herself together.

She stood in the middle of the street, drenched and weeping, to look back at the house. She searched for any sign of Masaya, any movement of the curtains or opening of a window. Any sign to show her that he had some regret over it. She remembered the night a few months ago, when she had stood in the middle of the city, face drenched with rain and tears because she thought that Masaya had finally given up on her. However this time, she knew he wouldn't suddenly appear. He wouldn't be there to wipe her face and forgive her, understanding that the world needed saving. This time, she truly was alone.

**Well that was depressing. I've got to admit that I do have a love for the cliché 'break up, cry and rain' sort of thing. Sorry not sorry. I know I promised some lettuce/pie fluff but once I started this chapter I really couldn't see how it would fit in. If you'd really like some let me know and I'll be sure to include them in one of the next chapters. Please review/favorite/follow and let me know if you like the story. **

***REM is the deep sleep where you have dreams. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Of The Deep End Chapter 8- Deep Trouble**

**So I think I may have found a way to elongate this fanfic past what I had originally planned. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorite/followed! I'm not sure when the next time I will be able to update will be but it should be before the week is over. I'm needing some ideas for how to get some of the characters a love interest so please send me some! I do not own TMM or MMP.**

Turning over, Ichigo snuggled deeper into her blankets. Then she shot up and looked frantically around. Somehow, she was lying in her bed, covered in what appeared to be every blanket in the city. Pushing them onto the floor, she stood up and checked the time. It was four o'clock in the morning.

The last thing she remembered was standing in the middle of the street and crying. Looking down, she realized she was no longer in the soaking clothes she had been wearing the night before. "Morning Kitty Cat." A voice came from behind her, and considering only one person called her that she could easily guess who it was. She turned to see Kisshu holding a pile of clothes in his hand. "Your mother and father left last night for a business trip. They left a note on the kitchen table." He informed her, holding up a piece of notebook paper. "I also took the liberty to dry your clothes for you. I didn't realize that human clothes driers could be so difficult." Smiling sheepishly, he laid her clothes on the bed. "Thanks and all," Ichigo scratched her head awkwardly, "but can I ask why you're here?" Kish's smile faded a bit and he nodded.

"Last night, I, well I stayed outside of Masaya's house after I teleported you there." He explained shyly. The look on Ichigo's face told him he still had some explaining to do.

"Well with him possibly turning into Deep Blue again, I didn't want anything to happen so I stayed outside, just below his window."

She looked down. "So you heard what he said." The alien pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Yes and I am very sorry." He held her for a second more before she pulled away.

"I thought you would be glad. Now Masaya's finally out of the way." Her maroon eyes stared up at him. His golden eyes narrowed a bit but softened when they met hers.

"I could never be happy about something that hurt you. And it obviously hurt you very much. You passed out in the middle of the street." Ichigo's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to say something but Kisshu gestured for her to wait.

"I teleported you home and was about to put you in your bed when you started shivering violently. Your clothes were freezing and completely soaked." He blushed a little and Ichigo's head snapped up.

"You didn't…" Her face turned red and Kish was quick to back pedal.

"No! I didn't…no. You thankfully woke up enough to change your clothes yourself but I did basically have to carry you out of the bathroom. I got you into bed and covered you up but you were still shivering. I got worried so I hunted down every blanket in your house and tucked you in." the Cyniclon looked proud of himself and waited for Ichigo to say something. She stared at him for a moment before ducking her head.

"You really didn't have to do all of that. I can take care of myself." Kisshu gave a slight chuckle at her response and lightly tilted her chin up to look at him.

"I know you can Kitten. But sometimes even the strongest of us need a little help." Before she could respond, Kish gave her a soft smile, one that was different from any she had ever seen, and teleported away. He left Ichigo in a slight daze, not sure what to think and most defiantly not sure what to feel.

***A Few Hours Later***

Dressed in her work clothes, Ichigo was dashing madly around the café. They were completely packed and even Mint was helping out. However, even with the extra hands of Mint and the aliens, customers were complaining about the slow service. Due to her stressful night and lack of sleep, Ichigo was being a little less than polite.

"I told you, when it's ready I will bring it to you. There's only one chef and there's nothing I can do about it!" She nearly yelled at a customer who had complained for the third time that he wanted his food. Turning quickly, she didn't notice Lettuce coming at her with a tray full of strawberry short cake. Lettuce swung out of the way, narrowly avoiding the angry red head. Unfortunately, the movement sent her colliding with another waiter, both crashing to the floor.

"Sorry!" She apologized quickly, looking up in horror. Pie leaned over her, his arms on either side of her head. He had barely managed to keep himself from falling on top of her and was currently kneeling in a crushed pile of cake. His dark hair hung over them in a veil, shielding them from the rest of the café. He stared down at the green haired girl, noticing once again how cute she looked when she was embarrassed. He was about to say something when an annoyingly peppy little girl pulled him up.

"Wow that was some collision! Pudding thought Lettuce was a goner!" the monkey mew chattered excitedly. Pie looked over at Lettuce who was attempting to knock some of the cake off of her apron. She met his glance and Pie gave one of his rare smiles. Leaning over, he gently swiped some icing off of her nose. This caused Lettuce to flush scarlet again, thus widening Pie's grin. He turned to go clean up, leaving the blushing girl to stare at his back.

"Ooooh Pudding thinks Lettuce is in loooove!" The blonde taunted, dancing around her.

"Pudding!" Lettuce scolded, slapping a hand over the younger mew's mouth. But Lettuce wondered. Could she have feelings for him?

***Scene Change***

Masaya panted as he looked at himself in the mirror. Gripping the edge of the sink, he groaned loudly as another pain rippled through him. Opening his eyes, he saw them flicker, changing from their normal warmth to something darker, more sinister. His mind buzzed with questions, most of which he knew he should be able to answer but he was having trouble remembering his own name, much less anything more important. All he knew was that something had changed. Something inside of him had snapped. An image was imprinted into his mind, an image that made him extremely angry though he couldn't remember why it should. He remembered peeking out of his window last night and seeing a girl. A red haired girl who was of some importance to him though he couldn't remember what. And then the girl was scooped up by a floating man. The fact that someone had touched the girl other than himself angered Masaya, but for some reason, Masaya knew that he especially hated the floating man. Even though Masaya didn't understand why the whole scene had infuriated him, his anger grew. As the rage consumed him, Masaya felt a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Masaya blinked and his head snapped up to stare into the mirror. A pair of dark, vengeful eyes stared back.

"I'm back."

**Well this started off as a filler chapter and as you can tell I lost control of it at the end. Anyway, hopefully this means that the action will kick up for our Mew friends and their alien teammates. What do you think of Pie/Lettuce? Please review/follow/favorite and another thanks to those who already have!**

**P.s. would it be easier if I wrote this using their Japanese names instead of the English dub names? Due to the fact I have been basically religiously reading fanfics on here I had to correct myself multiple times for switching names. Please let me know what you think!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Off The Deep End Chapter 9-Crushes, Aliens and….Sisters?**

**I decided to switch over to Japanese names. At some point I'll go back through the previous chapters and fix them as well. Hope this makes for easier reading! Also this will be a filler chapter because I'm trying to bring the others more into the story. I do not own TMM or MMP**

**Just in case you don't know the names in the original:**

**Ichigo-Zoey; Kisshu-Dren; Keiichiro-Wesley; Ryou-Elliot; Masaya-Mark, Pie-Sardon; Tart-Tarb; Zakuro-Renee; Mint-Corina; Pudding-Kiki; Lettuce-Bridget**

Four days had passed since the strawberry cake incident, and everyone could see how hard Pie was trying to get Lettuce's attention. Well, everyone but Lettuce that is. The green haired mew had been absorbed in her own thoughts, thoughts that did, in fact, revolve around Pie. Whether he knew it or not, Pie had more of Lettuce's attention than he could have hoped for. For, unknown to anyone, Lettuce had always admired Pie. When the aliens were still bent on taking over Earth, Lettuce had admired his devotion and perseverance. Now that they were on the same side, she admired his strength and his patience when dealing with his younger siblings.

Speaking of Pie's younger siblings, the two aliens had unfortunately not missed the extra seconds Pie spent hovered over the green haired mew a few days ago. Though they were kind enough to wait until they were alone, the boys teased their brother endlessly.

"Aww Pie and Lettuce sitting in a tree." Tart started but was hushed quickly as Pie appeared behind him, slapping a hand over his mouth. Pie was left empty handed as his brother teleported to the other side of the room they shared over Café Mew Mew.

"We must start working any minute now. Please do not say anything to the girls." He quietly begged his brother. Thankfully the younger alien rolled his eyes and agreed. Once they were both dressed in their uniforms, they teleported down into the kitchen.

"Aahh!" Lettuce yelled in shock when she turned to find the two aliens standing right behind her. "Would you guys please quit doing that?" She said angrily before realizing who it was. When she glanced up at Pie's smirk, she blushed and quickly excused herself from the kitchen.

"Geez could you be any more obvious?" Tart asked as he started to follow her out.

"What do you mean?" Pie was genuinely confused. He hadn't thought he had given anything away. Tart rolled his eyes, something the young alien was getting rather good at, before replying.

"You only smile like that when you're around her." Pie started to retort but Tart had already disappeared into the café. Pie sighed. This was going to be a long day.

The day was rather uneventful, besides Lettuce tripping over her feet every time she made eye contact with Pie. As they each relaxed around one of the tables, sipping a special brew of tea that Keiichiro had made himself, the heard a frantic beeping from the basement. The mews exchanged worried glances, praying it wasn't what they thought.

"Pudding hopes it's not the bad animals again." Pudding fretted over her cup of tea. The aliens looked a little confused at the girls' fear at the beeping sound. Zakuro decided to clue them in.

"The computer in the basement beeps whenever it senses a Chimera animal." Now each of the aliens' faces mirrored the mews'.

"But we're attacking so why is it going off?" Kish's question was answered when Ryou pounded up the stairs.

"There's a chimera animal in the park, not far off from here. We can't tell who's attacking so you'll have to find out when you get there. Hurry! It's Saturday so there's bound to be a lot of people." He quickly explained, his voice urgent. Each of the girls pulled their pendants out. Though they hadn't been used in months, they were never out of reach. A call that they hadn't sounded in a long time filled the room as they began to transform.

"Mew Mew Strawberry!"

"Mew Mew Mint!"

"Mew Mew Zakuro!"

Mew Mew Lettuce!"

Mew Mew Pudding!"

"METAMORPHO-SIS!"

The Mews stood in the middle of the café, transformed and battle ready. The aliens looked at each other and Tart whined, "Why don't we have a cool pre-battle thing like that?" Kish smacked the back of his head and answered, "Because we don't have to transform."

They all rushed out of the café, but stopped as they wondered where to go. "I'm going to say we should go that way." Zakuro pointed to where masses of people were running down the park pathway. Each of the Mews made sure they were holding onto the hand of an alien and closed their eyes as they teleported to the sight. A huge beast was ravaging the park, swinging its nose around frantically. Ichigo grimaced when she realized it was some sort of mutated blood hound. As they appeared, the animal swung it's snout towards them, throwing Ichigo and Kisshu into the trees.

"Who created that?"The pink Mew asked as she picked herself up.

"I'm not sure. I don't think Deep Blue would be powerful enough if he is Hosting Masaya." They dove out of the way as the creature's tail knocked over the row of trees.

"Mint Echo!" They heard before seeing a blue arrow lodge itself into the monster dog's paw. It let out a pitiful roar and then promptly sat down to lick its wound.

"What kind of chimera animal is this? It doesn't seem to be fighting us, just looking for something." Lettuce asked, skirting the giant wagging tail. The team gathered in front of the chimera, watching it warily as they talked.

"What could it be looking for?" Tart asked, secretly wondering if the dog liked to be scratched. Tart had always been a nature lover and giant dogs needed some love too.

"Not what, but who little Tart. And that who, is you." They turned to see a red headed boy floating behind them. The aliens all grinned when they saw him; Tart even flew up to tackle him to the ground.

"Who is that and why does he sound like a Dr. Seuss knock off?" Mint asked, an arrow already aimed at his chest. Kish pushed her weapon down before introducing the new comer.

"This is Toge. He's one of our best friends back home." He pulled the boy into a quick hug, smiling happily at him.

"Well I'm glad you get to see your friend and all but why exactly is he here and why did he bring his pet with him?" Ichigo was still gripping her Strawberry Bell, not sure whether she trusted this new 'friend' or not.

"Oh he's quite harmless I assure you. I've never been very good at creating chimera animals and the only reason I created this one was to find you three." He waved nonchalantly at the giant puppy who was now looking for someone to play with. Before anyone could stop her, Pudding was happily bouncing up the side of the puppy to sit on its head. Its large paw slapped the ground in pleasure as she scratched behind its ear.

"Can we keep it? Pudding would take very good care of him!" the monkey mew begged. The others glared at Toge, knowing how hard it would be to pry Pudding away from the pet. Toge laughed and waved his hand towards the dog again. With a poof, the dog and the parasite separated, leaving Pudding about ten feet up in the air. She flopped to the ground with a thud and was instantly pounced on by the puppy. Masha opened his mouth a ingested the jellyfish like creature before happily purring and returning to Ichigo.

"Why have you come to earth?" Pie returned the conversation to Toge. The red head looked to be between Kish and Tart's age though he had a wiry and sneaky look about him. His light colored skin was smattered with freckles and a wide grin stretched his face. The grin faltered slightly when Pie asked about his reasons but quickly settled back in place.

"Well it seems you three are the leaders of a band of rebels. A few days ago, some of the Elders told everyone that Deep Blue wasn't dead. They said you were traitors to your people and had attempted to kill Deep Blue so you could take over." Everyone stared at the boy in horror, their fears of their old enemy coming true. "They told everyone that Deep Blue wanted revenge. You are to be captured and taken back to our planet. Anyone caught associating with you will be put to death." He shrugged as though it was no big deal.

"Why did you come here then?" Kish asked, hoping the boy hadn't been foolish enough to put himself at risk. However, Kish had known Toge for a long time and knew that he most likely had.

"You didn't think I was going to let you have all the fun? Plus I needed to warn you before…" He was cut off by the appearance of two identical girls. They looked older than Kish but slightly smaller than him. Each girl had silver-blue hair, with wide electric blue eyes. One girl wore dark colored shorts underneath a flowy red shirt. The other wore longer pants with an orange crop top. Identical swords were strapped to their backs and they let out giggles as they approached the group. Pie's normally emotionless voice was hard with slightly veiled anger. "Why are you here?"

The mews lifter their weapons, misunderstanding Pie's fury.

"Oh please." One of them rolled her eyes. "You don't really think we would hurt our own brothers?"

**I know this is written a little differently than all of my previous chapters but that's because I wanted to make sure I included all of the mews and aliens. I've been mainly focusing on Ichigo and Kish up until last chapter and in order for me to make this story any longer I need to expand my characters. I hope changing to the Japanese names didn't throw you off too much! Please tell me if you like me writing with the Japanese names better that the English dub names. Please review/favorite/follow and let me know if you like it!**

***Toge means thorn. I thought it was fitting because I see him as a slightly annoying and mischievous kid (thus why he's a ginger ;p )**

**** Also I will be adding a few more aliens to the story so if you'd like to send me some names I'd really appreciate it. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Off The Deep End Chapter 10- A Day At The Café **

**So this is probably going to be another filler chapter but that's only because I need to explain some things before we can continue on with the story. If you've read the book "The Sight" by David Clement-Davies you'll recognize the names. On with the story! I do not own TMM or MMP**

The Mews stared at the floating girls, mouths hanging open. Ichigo was the first to speak.

"Nobody mentioned anything about sisters." She glanced at Kish who looked a little sheepish. He rubbed the back of his neck, something Ichigo noticed he did when he was embarrassed.

"Well, we really didn't expect you to ever meet them." The sisters looked a little hurt by the fact they had never been talked about. They obviously didn't mind it too much because a few seconds later, the one in orange had appeared right in front of Ichigo, studying her closely.

"So this is the cat girl we're always hearing about?" She asked, spinning upside down to get as close as possible. Kish turned red and his hand flew to the back of his neck again. He stammered a bit before giving up and sending the older girl a glare.

"Aww Kishy she's cute." She teased and Kisshu managed to turn even brighter. The other twin laughed and patted her brother on the head from where she floated above him.

"Well if no one is going to introduce us…" she hinted and Kish let out a sigh. Rolling his eyes, he gestured to the girl in orange.

"The annoying one is Karma." He swung his arm around to point at the girl in red. "And the other annoying one is Keeka." The girls floated down to beam at the Mews, hugging them excitedly.

"Mew Ichigo"

"Mew Zakuro"

"Mew Pudding"

"Mew Mint"

"Mew Lettuce"

"You're so much cooler looking in person! I mean the magazines just don't capture your amazingess!" Karma cooed over the girls. The Mews exchanged looks, wondering what magazines she was talking about. "Do you guys not know?" She asked. "You're like superstars on our planet. Keeka has life sized posters of each of you hanging in her room." At this Keeka shoved her sister and yelled, "Do not!" The girls went back to eagerly touching the Mews hair, clothes and animal features. Zakuro didn't mind too much, being used to this kind of treatment from adoring fans, but the other girls soon began to feel a bit uncomfortable. Noticing, Pie tried to distract them.

"So why exactly are you two here?" The question seemed to deflate them and they floated down to the ground.

"It's a bit of a long story." Karma said quietly.

***A Few Minutes Later At Café Mew Mew***

They were all seated around a table, to which Mint stated, "Every time we sit here something bad happens." The others ignored her and waited for the twins to tell their story. Karma nodded at Keeka, encouraging her to speak.

"A few days ago the Elders were suddenly called into a big secret meeting. They talked for a few hours before calling everybody who was able to come to the capital. The next day they had this huge gathering in the city square and they talked about how Deep Blue was back. They said that you were traitors who had tried to kill him but you were too weak. They put a bounty on your heads and said that anyone who helped you would be executed. After that we ran home to tell Mom and Dad." Keeka stopped for a breath and her twin picked up where she left off.

"We all stayed at the house for a few days, waiting for something to happen. Mom didn't even let us look out the window because she was afraid someone would take us. Then this one managed to teleport into the middle of the living room," she gestured to Toge, "And scare us half to death. He said that the Elders were sending men to come and take us in. Mom and Dad made us leave with Toge. He brought us here in a ship." The alien boys looked at each other, worry painting their faces.

"So what happened to them?" Tart asked, his normally annoying voice was filled with anxiety. The twins shook their heads, eyes downcast.

"We don't really know. Toge teleported us across the street in time to see the men coming in big black hover cars. They surrounded the house and then demanded everyone come out. Mom and Dad walked out and were immediately forced into the cars. We haven't heard or see them since." Keeka's voice was choked with worry and fear. Tart's ear drooped and he quickly wiped a tear from his cheek. Pudding, who was obviously quite fond of her friend, hugged him tightly.

"Pudding will hurt the meanies for taking Taru-Taru's parents." She promised making Tart giggle a little.

"However, there is a bit of good news." Toge interrupted Pudding's promises of vengeance. Everyone looked at him hopefully. "Not everyone is happy with Deep Blue's return. He has yet to show himself, the only ones who have talked to him are the Elders. Thanks to you guys and the Mew Aqua, the people aren't quite as apt to believe everything they hear anymore. A good deal of them actually supports you. The day after your parents were taken, there were protests. They grouped up and blocked the streets to the capital building. They wanted your family released and for the Elders to revoke your warrants." He sat back in his seat looking pleased with himself. "You're basically the leaders of a group of rebels. Which doesn't help with the whole 'the government thinks you're traitors' thing but at least you've got some support." Everyone nodded thoughtfully, wondering what this meant for them. Tart was still upset over his parents capture, even though Pudding was reassuring him that if the 'meanie heads' so much as looked at his parents the wrong way she was going to Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno them into the ground. Pie was wondering how they would orchestrate the rescue of his parents while they were on another planet and Kish was thinking of something a little more trivial.

"How did you manage to get your hands on an air ship? I literally had to save our whole planet and race to be able to use one of those." He asked Toge, who gave a sheepish shrug.

"I may have…borrowed it…from the storage room at the weapons warehouse." This caused Pie to groan.

"You mean to say you got my sisters involved in some sort of grand theft…air ship?" Toge rolled his eyes, something the aliens seemed to be very good at.

"I think they've got something a little more serious on their record, like say consorting with traitors?" he laughed but then turned to Kisshu. "And we've got a something a little more pressing than how I acquired my transport." The whole café seemed to hold its breath as Toge continued in a serious tone.

"The Elders are planning an invasion."

Mint sighed. "We've got to start sitting at a different table."

**So what do you think of my new characters? Toge is sort of a mix of the three alien boys. He's a bit silly like Tart, sarcastic like Kish and serious like Pie. Also I loved Keeka and Karma's names because I'm currently re-reading "The Sight" and the names seemed really strong and foreign. Like I said I'm also going to introduce some rebel and enemy aliens so I'd appreciate some name ideas for those. Please review/favorite/follow and let me know if you like it!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Off The Deep End Chapter 11- Rebels and a Missing Person**

**So I have actually taken the time to sort of map out what will happen in each chapter and how I think I want this to end. But knowing me that can and probably will change before I finish. However I am still in need of a few alien names, and would greatly appreciate any suggestions. If you review/follow/favorite I will give you a cookie! I do not own TMM or MMP. On with the story!**

Ichigo was walking to her house after work, exhausted from the long day of serving customers. It had been a two weeks since the dog chimera and even with the extra alien hands, as Toge, Keeka and Karma had all agreed to help out with the work load, each worker was kept on their feet constantly. Ichigo didn't think she had ever wanted summer to end so badly. School seemed like a beacon of hope at the end of a long tunnel filled with sweets and annoyed customers. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Ed Sheeran coming from her phone.

"Hello?" She answered warily, praying it wasn't anyone associated with the café. She was greatly disappointed.

"Ichigo, we're going to need you to come back." Ryou's voice sounded urgent on the phone and the redhead was worried and slightly annoyed.

"I just left there! What could possibly be so pressing that I've got to go back to work at eight o'clock at night?" She whined into the speaker. Her cat ear's popped out in annoyance when she heard Ryou's sigh on the other end.

"Just do it. We've got some visitors."

***A Few Minutes and One Out of Breath Cat Girl Later***

"You were only a few minutes away and you're _that_ out of breath?" Zakuro teased the younger Mew who gave her a slight hiss. The lilac haired girl gestured for Ichigo to follow her. Leading through the kitchen and out the back door, Zakuro stepped aside to let Ichigo see the giant gleaming space ship that was settled awkwardly on the grass. Following the sound of voices, she rounded the ship to find her teammates, six familiar aliens, and a bunch of strange aliens either floating in the air or lying on the ground talking to each other. Kisshu was the first to notice her arrival and couldn't stop the grin from spreading over his face when he saw her. For some reason a warm feeling etched its way through Ichigo's body, causing her to reflect his toothy grin. The others turned to see what Kish was smiling about. When they caught sight of the human, they looked confused, not knowing why she was here or why Kish was so happy about it. Floating over to her, Kish introduced her to the others.

"This is Ichigo. She is the human version of Mew Ichigo." He said, though he felt that after saying her name they should easily understand that she was a Mew. It still boggled his mind that most of the humans hadn't put two and two together and figured out her and the other Mews' identities. He chuckled at the look of awe that spread over the faces of the new comers. They had all heard the tales of the beautiful, brave cat Mew who helped save their planet. Ichigo blushed a little at all of the stares she was receiving but still managed to smile.

"Who are all these people?" She asked Kish out of the corner of her mouth. Quickly looking over the group, Ichigo estimated there were about ten aliens resting behind the ship.

"Why Ichigo, this is our rebel army."

***Back In The Café***

A knock on the door brought Keiichiro up from the basement where he was currently trying to figure out why he could no longer track Masaya's energy. With Deep Blue awakening in him, the boy had been giving off astounding amounts of energy, enough that the scientist had been able to track his every move. However, Keiichiro had lost the signal this morning and, though he had been rebooting and searching all day, had yet to pick it up again. He peeked through the peep hole on the door and swallowed nervously when he caught sight of the uniformed officers on the door step. Taking a deep breath he smiled and swung the door open.

"Good evening gentlemen. I regret to inform you that Café Mew Mew is now closed. We would be more than happy to serve you at ten o'clock tomorrow morning." He said cheerfully even though he had a feeling they hadn't come for cake.

"We need to ask you a few questions. Do you mind if we come inside?" The lead officer asked, his graying mustache moving with his lips.

"Of course! Right this way. Would you like some tea while we talk?" Keiichiro asked, always the gracious host. The officers thanked him but declined and asked if any of the workers were still around.

"Well Pudding, Mint and Lettuce got off early. Zakuro had to close up tonight and I think Ichigo came back to help." He didn't think they would quite believe him if he said she had come back to the café to meet a group of aliens that had just flown in. The officer's head snapped up at her name.

"Ichigo Momomiya?" He questioned and Keiichiro nodded warily. "We will need to speak to her as well."

After Keiichiro had roused from his room in the basement, he went to get Ichigo from outside. The task was harder than he anticipated because she was in the middle of telling a war story of the battle against the moth chimera. The aliens had gathered around her, listening with rapt attention as Kish interrupted every so often to make a comment. Some faces held wonder as they watched the redhead while others simply looked on with admiration. Everyone complained when Keiichiro said he needed her inside.

"Aww come on! I'm at the best part." Ichigo whined but reluctantly followed him. She flashed him a look of confusion and worry when she caught sight of the police but managed to remain calm. Ichigo smiled politely at the officers and introduced herself.

"Ms. Momomiya, is it true that you're dating Mr. Masaya Aoyama?" They began their questioning. Ichigo was unsure of how to answer. She finally decided on staying as close to the truth as possible.

"I'm not sure. We've been dating for almost a year now but I think he broke up with me a few weeks ago. He got very angry with me and told me that we were over."

"And have you seen him since?" The other officer took out a notepad and began to jot something down.

Ichigo shook her head. "No sir. I thought I'd let him cool down a bit before trying to speak to him." This was actually truthful. She had hoped his memory would start to come back and had decided to leave him be in the mean time. Of course Keiichiro had promised to keep tabs on him through the super computer in the basement.

"What caused him to break up with you? Was he seeming particularly depressed? Did he mention leaving or running away?" the man continued to ask her questions, ones she wasn't sure why they needed to know. Ichigo attempted to tell as much of the truth as possible without revealing anything about the Mew Project.

"Well, he said he was tired of me always being late and that I didn't seem to trust him. He was angry that he always told me everything but I seemed to keep secrets from him. He seemed more angry than depressed though I did feel like he was overreacting. And no he didn't. Why would he leave?" She pretended to be confused but the pieces were slowly coming together. She asked a question and prayed the answer was different.

"What has happened to Masaya?"

The officer glanced at his partner who nodded in assent.

"I'm sorry Ms. Momomiya but he's missing."

**Well I think we all saw that one coming. Oh whale. Like I said I'm going to need names for my aliens both friend and foe. I've got a bit of testing coming up with the end of the school year so postings may be sporadic though there shouldn't be too much time in between chapters. Please review/follow/favorite and I will love you forever and ever!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Of The Deep End Chapter 12- Secrets**

**Hiya **** Once again this is mostly a filler chapter. I'll try to shove some fluff in but most is going to be explaining, introducing and back story. I'm starting to develop some of the characters so I hope you love them as much as I do! I still need names though so don't be shy. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited here's a virtual cookie of your choice and a glittery hug. Have a super sparkly day! I do not own TMM or MMP**

A sigh of relief escaped Ichigo's mouth as she watched the police retreat down the walkway. Ryou, however looked more worried than ever. Ichigo had managed to persuade the officers to tell them everything they knew about Masaya's disappearance. The ex-boyfriend's parents had arrived home yesterday to find a note saying he had left and would not be coming back. They immediately called the police to report him missing and were assured that the police would do all they could to find the boy, but since it was a runaway and not a kidnapping, it wasn't their top priority. Masaya's parents had objected, saying that the note didn't sound like Masaya. Though they would never understand, it had been Masaya's hand that had held the pencil but Deep Blue's mind that had thought the words.

"He went to their planet." Ichigo whispered quietly and Ryou nodded solemly.

Thirty minutes later, everyone was gathered in the basement for a emergency Mew Meeting. Kish and his siblings were present, as well as Toge, Keiichiro, Ryou and the Mew team. Ichigo quickly filled them in on what had happened and they all looked grim. It was Toge who finally answered everyone's unspoken question.

"He's going to take back over the planet and build an army. He will wait until you are safely defeated and then he will come to Earth again. The Elders were talking about it at a war council. I thought it was all hypothetical though. How could they know he was still alive right? How could the people who we have always respected and looked up to lie to us about it and then attempt to enslave us again?" It was clear that Toge had idolized the Elders. What no one knew was the he had dreamed of being one of them when he got older. The Elders was a group of elite military and government leaders (all over fifty which is why they're called "The Elders") who jointly governed the planet and its inhabitants. They made all the decisions, but did so in a way that made it seem like everyone had a choice. Toge felt faintly sick at the thought of them deceiving the people and working for Deep Blue. Though he hadn't been on earth during the initial invasion attempt, he had heard enough about Deep Blue to know he would never follow him.

"Why does he want Earth so badly? If your planet is healing the way you say it is." Mint asked from where she sat on one of the cots, slowly sipping tea. Kish looked down and Ichigo noticed his hand slip to the back of his neck.

"Well," he started and Ichigo knew they were in for a surprise. "Deep Blue never wanted to use the Mew Aqua to heal our planet. He's always been after Earth." The humans all looked a little shocked but the rebels didn't respond. "Once we had a little bit of it, we wanted to go back and see what effect it would have on our planet. We knew we would need a lot more to heal it completely but we thought we could test out the sample we had. But Deep Blue said he wouldn't waste it on our dead planet. He told us that Earth was ours and he would use the power of the Mew Aqua to strengthen himself until he could take over. " the green haired alien lowered his eyes in shame. "I…I believed that he was doing it for our people. It wasn't until the last battle that I realized that he had no intention of helping our people. He only wanted it for himself." Kish's hands tightened into fists. "I was stupid." He whispered angrily. Kish looked up to see everyone still staring at him and pushed himself up from the table. "I'm sorry." He said before teleporting out of the café. Pie and Tart rose to follow him but Ichigo shook her head.

"Let me." She knew exactly where the alien had gone. Running through the park, she went to the place where they had first met. She saw him sitting on top of the tower and called to him, knowing the only way she would be able to climb up would be to transform.

"Kish please come down." She saw the alien's ear twitch, showing that he had heard her. He ignored her, causing her to growl in frustration. "Well then I guess I'm going to have to climb up there." She began climbing, surprising herself by getting a few feet up before she fell. She let out a startled shriek and closed her eyes, waiting for the hard impact of the ground. It never came, instead she opened her eyes to find herself cradled in Kish's arms. He teleported them up to the roof and set her down before turning his back to her. She was still a little dizzy from the teleport but crawled over to him. "Kish. It's not your…" The alien turned to glare at her.

"Don't say it wasn't my fault. I should have seen what he was doing. I should have stopped him!" He dropped his head into his hands in defeat. Ichigo reached out and took one of his hands.

"You did stop him. We never would have beat him if you hadn't helped us. You died Kish, no one could have given more." He looked up at her, tears glistening in his eyes.

"You know what really made me change? What made me turn my back on my leader?" He paused for a second, letting the red head shake her head. He gave a small smile, one that was full of pain. "You. Deep Blue told us that the humans were heartless and cruel. That they would destroy earth and not even regret it. But then you I saw you. You were so full of life and happiness and hope. You always fought for the ones you loved and for your home. You had to give up so much but you still fought to protect what you cared about. I knew that if there were other people like you, I couldn't take their home from them." Ichigo stared at him, not knowing what to say. He let go of her hand before continuing, wrapping his arms around his knees. "I remember how awful it was. It was always snowing on my planet, we couldn't grow enough food for everyone and many people died of starvation. We were always scared that we were going to be the next ones who didn't get enough food. And to take your safety from you? To condemn you and your kind to what we had gone through? I would have been the one who was heartless. Especially after I met you."

Ichigo moved closer to him, reaching for his hand again. The alien was cold, as though his body was remembering the freezing nights where his family had sat huddled in their shack. "But Kish, you did change. You did what you could to do the right thing. It's not your fault Deep Blue deceived you. He deceived your whole planet. You thought you were doing what was best for your people and don't ever blame yourself for that." He still didn't look convinced so Ichigo decided to let him in on a little secret.

"You devote yourself to doing what you believe is right and are able to admit it when you're wrong. You're one of the best people I have ever met, human or alien." Kish's eyes widened as he looked up at Ichigo. It was true though. Kish had always been trying to help save his people no matter what he had to go through. He had truly had feelings for Ichigo but had put them aside so he could fight for his home. He was more like Ichigo than she had ever let herself believe. And even though Masaya had only been gone for a few weeks now, she had to admit she hadn't felt this close to anyone in a while. The last time they had been together, they had been on opposing sides, but this time, they were fighting for the same thing. And maybe this time they could explore the feelings they had for each other. Ichigo wanted to tell Kish how she felt; she wanted him to know that she was at least considering him now.

But whatever they might have said or done on that roof top never happened. Because at that moment, Ichigo looked up into the sky. She noticed the silver gleam of metal descending towards the city.

"Kish what is that?" She asked, pointing up at the clouds. Kish turned and his face became grim.

"That's the invasion."

**Aww Kishy! I've got to admit this is one of my favorite chapters. I love writing kind of depressing and romantic things. Please let me know what you think! The next chapter we'll finally get some action. Until then, have a super sparkly day**

***Btw incase you didn't know, I've written some one shots that are under my story called Tokyo Mew Mew One Shots. One of them is Kish's POV of chapter 7 Rainy Season (Chapter 8 in the links) and Pie's POV of Chapter 8 Deep Trouble (Chapter 9 in the links). **

**Happy Mother's Day!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Off The Deep End Chapter 13- Creepy Crawlies**

**Hi! So last chapter made things a little awkward between Ichigo and Kish but sadly we really won't be dealing with their relationship problems in this chapter. Don't give up hope on that Kish/Ichigo kiss though! So I've got my names for the rebel aliens but I'm still in need of names for invading aliens. Anything that sounds like an alien name would be appreciated. Thank you to Semoka for offering her name, I hope you like your character! I do not own TMM or MMP.**

The next day Ichigo had arrived at the café to see it taken over by aliens. Good aliens. Though they had an hour until opening, sixteen aliens were floating around the café, getting tables cleaned and ready for the day. "I could get used to this!" Ichigo jumped as Mint spoke behind her.

"It's not like you did much before." She teased the bird mew. Mint "hmphed" and walked into the café. Many of the aliens stopped what they were doing to introduce themselves to her, a few even asked for her autograph. Ichigo sighed and found Kish among the group.

"You should really stop them before they inflate her ego even more." But Kish just laughed and watched as the same scene repeated with Zakuro's arrival even though they had seen her the night before.

"Where are they all staying? You, your siblings and Toge take up all the rooms we have above the café. And I certainly can't imagine Ryou sharing his room with anyone." She grimaced when she saw Lettuce approaching the entrance, knowing the shy girl hated attention.

Kish nodded. "They all have rooms on the ship. They had the sense to take a long term ship. It has bedrooms unlike ours and Toge's ship." The hustle of the café muted as Lettuce walked in the door. She stopped and looked around at all the staring faces.

"Um..good morning?" she said quietly, her face turning red. A female alien, one who looked to be about Ichigo's age, spoke up from where she sat wiping a table.

"You are as pretty as Pie tells everyone." This caused Lettuce's blush to deepen, even though her eyes were wide with surprise. Hearing his name, Pie emerged from the kitchen, only to have everyone turn to stare at him.

"Hello Lettuce." He ignored the looks and greeted the mew. Everyone awed and Pie looked around with confusion. He shrugged and went back to whatever he was doing in the kitchen. Lettuce walked over to where Ichigo and Kish stood.

"Pie talks about me?" She asked quietly.

Kish snickered, "Only all the time."

The green haired girl turned without responding, going to change into her uniform thoughtfully. Ichigo followed her, noticing her small yet happy smile.

"You like him don't you?" she asked and Lettuce's face flushed again.

"Yeah I do. He's so sweet and smart and charming. I know he isn't exactly human but…he act's it." She sighed, sitting on the bench in the middle of the dressing room. Ichigo patted her back.

"We're not exactly human either."

**Thirty minutes later in the basement of Café Mew Mew**

Ichigo had decided to hold another Mew meeting to tell everyone what she had seen the night before. She had called Ryou right after spotting the fleet but he had told her there was nothing they could do about it now and to go home and rest. The others listened grimly as she told them of the huge ships, at least four or five of them, that had landed somewhere on the other side of the city.

"Well, I guess we should start drawing up a battle plan." Toge said when she had finished. They all agreed and got down to work.

When they had finished, they held a list describing each of their teammates' strengths. Toge, though he was truly awful at creating Chimeras, was an amazing hand to hand fighter. He had a pair of small blades that doubled as throwing knives that were kept hidden in his sleeves. Kish, of course, created Chimeras and fought with his Dragon swords. Pie had his fan and Tart had his power over plants and his clacker balls. The twins always fought together and had almost identical swords. Keeka's sword had an image of a large lush tree etched on the metal, while Karma's was of a tree that had shed its leaves. Kish said that the Mews had to see them in action to truly understand their fighting style. Semoka, who was the alien who told Lettuce she was pretty, could control the weather. Gaunt, a small but wiry boy, was a chi blocker and could incapacitate an enemy with his bare hands. Lot, who was Gaunt's older brother but identical in size, could control water. Narcis was a tiny girl with light green hair who had amazing skills with a bow and arrow. Loki was a giant alien with bulging biceps who wielded a heavy looking club. Lilac, was his sister but the two were completely different in appearance. She was slim and fast and could read minds which made her almost unstoppable in battle. Riff was an average sized boy with shocking blue hair who could do major damage with his throwing stars. Maya, whose tall legs made her ears look normal sized, had some nasty martial arts skills. Nile was a slim boy who teleported faster than anyone the aliens had ever met. Last but defiantly not least was Omahu, an attractive boy with long blonde hair and dark eyes. He could do what the aliens called "charm speak", meaning he could persuade someone to do almost anything he wanted just by speaking a certain way.

"It's gotten him into and out of a lot of trouble over the years." Kish chuckled, remembering that many times Omahu had gotten caught using his charm speak. Cyniclons were generally discouraged from using their powers outside of training. Some Cyniclons such as Kish's siblings, Toge, Loki, Narcis, Nile, Riff and Maya, never developed special powers but had become great in hand to hand combat. Others such as Semoka, Gaunt, Lot, Lilac and Omahu, usually spent their time training their powers instead of learning how to fight. There was exceptions though, like Kish who had astounding control over his Chimeras but also knew how to fight with his Dragon swords. Each alien went to school until they were sixteen and cultivated either their power or their fighting.

They had just finished the list when a frantic beeping came from the computer.

"Chimera Chimera!" Masha warned only a few seconds later.

"Well I guess it's time to see these guys in action!" Ichigo yelled as she led the team upstairs and to the back door. Ryou gathered all the aliens from the café and asked the few customers who had been sitting and enjoying coffee to stay inside. When the whole fighting force had arrived, they went outside. They followed the screams of fearful park goers to the middle fountain, and stared in horror as to what was terrorizing them.

It was a giant centipede, its long segmented body covered in a hard black shell. Millions of legs stomped on the pavement, crushing trees, park benches and anything else that happened to be underneath it.

"Let's go girls!" Ichigo yelled pulling out her pendant.

"Mew Mew Strawberry!"

"Mew Mew Mint!"

"Mew Mew Zakuro!"'

"Mew Mew Lettuce!"

"Mew Mew Pudding!"

"METAMORPHO-SIS!"

Each of the Mews emerged transformed and the new aliens stared at them. They had all heard stories about the Mews but were still amazed at seeing their transformations first hand.

"Aww look Buggy! Even the Mews have come out to play." A voice laughed from high in the trees. A boy, no older than Pie, appeared in front of them, laughing to himself.

"They sent you? Why in the world would they send you?" Kish groaned from behind the Mews. The other aliens muttered similar complaints.

"You know this kid?" Ichigo asked, the bell on her tail jingling as she swished it.

"Yeah Kish why don't you introduce me? I'd like to get to know the cat." He winked at the red head who hissed in annoyance. "Feisty isn't she?"

Kish growled and said, "This is Amon. He's a year older than me and a whole lot more annoying." He glared at the Cyniclon, who was Kish's height but had jet black hair down to the middle of his back. It was all pulled together into one long ponytail. Amon swooped down to lift Ichigo's chin up.

"Now that we've been properly introduced, how about you ditch these losers and come back to my ship?" He waggled his eyebrows and Ichigo smacked his hand away.

"Not happening." She spat, her ears lying flat against her head and her tail lashing.

"Oh darn," The Cyniclon frowned, "Your loss sweet heart. Buggy attack!" Before Ichigo could point out that "Buggy" was a totally inadequate name for a giant man-eating centipede, Amon had disappeared.

"Let's kill this bug!" She growled, springing sideways to avoid being smashed by one of its many legs.

"Ribbon Pudding Ring Inferno!" Pudding yelled, slashing her rings toward the creature. Her attack bounced off the hard shell, lashing back at the girl and encasing her in the yellow Jell-o substance.

"I got her." Tart yells and begins hacking at the sweet prison with his clacker balls. The other Mews try their attacks, earning the same results though they manage to avoid being hit. The aliens are busy trying to keep the bug distracted and the Mews safe but Kish notices their hesitation.

"Hey try to move a little faster will you? This isn't as easy as it looks!" He yelled while teleporting around the bug, causing it's head to swing around in confusion. Ichigo jumped out of its way, glimpsing the pink of its mouth as she did so.

"Mews I need you to get it to open its mouth. That will be the only place without the shell."

They nodded and took off, each trying to figure out how to do so.

"Do centipedes even have mouths?" Mint asked, her tone disgusted as she landed on top of its head. As an answer, the bug flipped its head up to snap its pinchers at her. Its mouth opened to roar as it realized she was out of reach.

"Ichigo go!" Mint yelled, struggling to stay on top as it attempted to dislodge her.

Ichigo launched herself over the bug's head, summoning her Strawberry bell.

"Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!"

A burst of light shot from her arms, entering the mouth of the beast. It gives on final roar before returning back to a regular centipede. It scurried off, wanting nothing more to do with the bizarre humans. Masha quickly sucked up the parasite and squealed happily.

A slow clapping came from behind them and they all turned to see Amon perched in a tree.

"I must say that was impressive. Especially you little Ichigo. I may just have to steal you away." He chuckled darkly. "However I'll leave you for now. You're quite interesting to watch." He disappeared again, leaving Ichigo lashing her tail and hissing.

"Ichigo, why do you always attract the creepers?" Mint asked.

**Yes I did use get the name Amon from Korra. I also used the name Loki from Thor and Omahu's power, charm speak, I got the idea from a Percy Jackson book and Gaunt's power, chi blocking, comes from Avatar The Last Airbender. Once again thanks to Semoka for letting me use her name and thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed/followed/favorited! This is the longest chapter I've written to date **** Once again I ask for names for the invading aliens please!**

***P.s. Chi blocking is what Ty Lee does in Avatar and what the Equalists do in Korra. **

***P.p.s. If you haven't seen Avatar (I'm very sorry) chi blocking is hitting in certain areas on the body to render the muscles useless and therefore the victim can no longer move that part of the body.**

***P.p.p.s. I didn't know what else to call Tart's weapon so I settled on clacker balls. Not very dangerous sounding but…**


	15. Chapter 15

**Off The Deep End Chapter 14- A Library Date**

**I'm excited for this chapter because…well I can't tell you… you're just gonna have to read it and find out. Blegh I have one more day of testing and then I'm done…until finals… I do not own TMM or MMP**

The café was quiet, too quiet. It had been two days since the encounter with Amon and thankfully, they hadn't seen any signs of him or the other invaders since. Pudding had called a Mew meeting and everyone was currently down in the basement. Well, everyone except Pie and Lettuce.

"Pudding is calling this meeting to order." She said in her most authoritative voice. They all looked at her and groaned.

"Pudding it's six o'clock in the morning. My face doesn't look this good without its beauty rest." Omahu complained. Over the two days, the humans had realized that Omahu was very vain. He took more time getting ready for work than even Mint did. His blonde hair always had to be perfectly pulled back into a ponytail with only blue bands. His uniform had to be wrinkle-free and smelling fresh.

"Then let Pudding talk and you can go back to sleep lazy." The blonde retorted. Omahu sighed and gestured for her to continue. She nodded happily.

"Lettuce and Pie are in love but both are too shy to do anything about it. Pudding thinks we should get them together." No one could argue with that. The pair had been fawning over each other since the Strawberry Cake Incident but both were too shy to make a move.

"What do you suggest we do?" Narcis asked. The lithe green haired girl was a hopeless romantic but everyone knew she had eyes only for Omahu who barely knew she existed. Pudding was suddenly standing on the table wearing a trench coat and hat. The aliens looked at each other in confusion, wondering where she had gotten the clothes, but the Mews just shook their heads.

"Pudding there's no need for some elaborate plan so take that off." Mint sighed. Pudding looked a little crestfallen but was quickly back in her regular clothes. They all waited for someone to come up with an idea. A laugh came from Kish and Tart, and the others turned to stare at them.

"You don't have to worry about it. Pie's planning on asking her out today." Kish snickered, knowing that his brother would probably be very awkward about it. Pudding glared at Taruto who was giggling next to Kisshu.

"Taru-Taru knew about this but didn't tell Pudding?" Tart stopped laughing and looked wide-eyed at Pudding who was getting a little teary eyed. Mint, Ichigo and Zakuro all slapped their hands to their foreheads.

"Pudding hates not knowing secrets." Ichigo explained while Tart tried to console the monkey Mew. She sniffled and pulled his ear.

"Ow!" He yanked away from her and rubbed it. Pudding smirked at him.

"Next time Taru-Taru won't lie to Pudding."

"But I didn't even lie…" Tart started to respond but Ichigo cut him off.

"Let it go Tart."

***Upstairs in the Café***

Lettuce had arrived at the Café at the same time Pie had come down from his room. Pie smiled nervously at the green haired Mew, his stomach full of butterflies. She set her stuff down and turned to go to the changing room to put on her uniform.

"Um…Lettuce?" He called to her and she was a little surprised. Pie was usually so confident and sure of himself but now he sounded nervous and a little scared. She turned to him and he ran a hand through his purple-grey hair.

"I was wondering… Well I must go to the Library after work to acquire some books on the Earth plant flora and I wanted to see… well I was wondering…" Lettuce cut him off with a small smile.

"I'd love to go to the Library with you." Pie beamed and Lettuce left to go get dressed for work.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, much to everyone happiness. They all volunteered to clean up, telling Pie and Lettuce to get going.

"Good luck." Kish chuckled as Pie walked past him to join Lettuce at the door. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and blushed as everyone wished them fun on their date. Pie followed her out the door and slowly reached over to take her hand. Her hand was warm in his and he could feel the life running through her veins. They walked in silence until they had reached their destination, not separating hands the whole way. As they entered, Lettuce remembered the last boy she had been here with. Pie seemed to remember too as he tensed a bit.

"So what happened to that boy you used to sit here with? Were you no longer happy with him?" He asked, his voice still unsure. Lettuce let out a laugh, thinking about how wrong she had been about the whole situation.

"No it wasn't like that. We never dated; in fact he's married to the librarian. That's the only reason he ever came here. Not for me." Pie looked down at her and his eye brows furrowed.

"He did not want you? Then he is a fool." The conversation ended and Pie led them over to a table in the corner. It was piled high with books and Lettuce grinned as she looked over them. All of the books on the table were works by her favorite authors. Pie smiled slightly.

"I came yesterday and told the librarian what I had planned. She let me see the list of books you had checked out before and I came and pulled out the books by the authors you seemed to like the most. I even read a few of them." He said proudly. The fish Mew gazed in amazement up at him. No one had ever done something so thoughtful for her.

The next few hours they spent pouring over the books. Pie would often read her lines out of the books he liked and she was surprised to find they had common interests in authors. They laughed about the character's mishaps and mourned over the character's losses. The books seemed to bring the pair together, pulling them closer to each other. By the end of the last book, Lettuce was snuggled into Pie's side and his arm was wrapped protectively around her. They were so enveloped in the book and each other's presence, that they didn't notice the time, or the annoyed but slightly amused looking librarian.

"I'm sorry but the Library is closing. I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She said kindly, smiling at the way the two were sitting together. Pie and Lettuce apologized and helped her place the books back on their shelves. As they left, the Librarian leaned over and whispered in Lettuce's ear.

"That boy there really cares about you."

Lettuce smiled. "I know."

**Sorry it's so short but it really was sort of a filler chapter. I really like this chapter because I think the date is so cute. Except I'd rather be cuddling by a fire while reading a book than in the middle of the library but you get my point. Let me know what you think and what other characters you think should get together! Please review/favorite/follow and thanks to the people who have!**

**I decided to post this one tonight but after this I will only update every two days. I've got a lot of school work and a bunch of extracurricular stuff coming up. Also I don't want to finish this whole story in less than two weeks! So, sorry but the next chapter won't be up until Wensday!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Off The Deep End Chapter 15- The Dragon Warrior**

**I'm done with my testing! Again, only until finals week but at least I'm done for a few weeks. Thanks to everyone who has sent me ideas for the invaders! Even though I said before that I really don't care about any ships that aren't KishXIchigo, I must admit after last chapter, and reading a bunch of fanfic, I have come to adore PieXLettuce. I decided to wait to do the whole "post every two days" thing until closer to finals since right now we're basically just chilling. But anyways, let's get on with the story. I do not own TMM or MMP**

The next day Pie teleported to Lettuce's house to walk her to the Café, holding her hand the whole way. As they entered the building everyone stopped and let out a collective "aww". Lettuce and Pie both blushed but didn't let go of each other's hand. All throughout the work day, Pie and Lettuce smiled happily at each other. The other Mews started to get annoyed.

"Ok, we're happy for you and all but could you please stop staring at your boyfriend and help us out? The Café is nearly overflowing with people and there's only us eight." Ichigo huffed, trying to put it nicely. Ryou had sent all the aliens besides Kish, Taruto and Pie out to watch for invaders. They were supposed to call him if there was any trouble. Lettuce turned scarlet again.

"I don't think we're boyfriend/girlfriend yet." She muttered. "At least he hasn't said we were." She turned to look at Pie who was currently carrying a platter of pastries to a table full of teenage girls. They all attempted to flirt with him but he was purely professional.

Mint cleared her throat. "Earth to Lettuce." The green haired Mew didn't seem to hear her.

"Pudding doesn't know if this was such a good idea anymore." The youngest Mew stated as she jumped in front of Lettuce's face, trying to get her attention. The door to the basement thudded open and Ryou walked quickly over to them.

"Girls, I just got a call from Semoka and Nile. They're over by Ichigo's high school and they've run into some trouble. Transform and get over there as fast as you can. Take one alien with you, we're going to need the other two to help run the Café." He explained to them while gesturing for Kish, Pie and Tart to come over. Of course both Pie and Kisshu volunteered to accompany the girls but before Kish could argue, the girls and Pie were gone.

***Over At Ichigo's School***

Thankfully the school was closed for the summer so there were no children around. As Pie and the Mews - who were already transformed- arrived, Semoka was floating above the school, calling lightening down on a huge Chimera animal. It was a fiery red color and had huge fangs. Ichigo realized that it used to be a cat.

"Do you like it? I made it especially for you." Ichigo turned to see Amon, flanked by two other aliens, one girl and one guy. "Oh I'm being rude aren't I?" He asked a little sarcastically before gesturing to the two beside him. "This is Emzie and this is Kar." They each took a mocking bow.

"You're right Amon, the cat is really cute. However, I think I prefer the dog." Kar smirked.

"I'm a wolf." Zakuro growled.

"And we need some help!" Nile squeaked while teleporting quickly to various places on the Chimera Cat's spine to distract it. The creature merely flicked its shoulders and sent Nile flying into the side of the school. The Mews abandoned their talk and surrounded the animal. It was currently occupied, staring down at where it had Semoka trapped between its front paws. It reared its head back, ready to bite down on her, when it was hit in the eye by a spinning object. Ichigo reached up and grabbed her Strawberry Bell as it flew back to her. The cat roared and reared up, allowing Semoka to slip from underneath it.

"Thanks." She panted. Ichigo nodded, not wanting to waste time.

"Girls, let's finish this quick. Try not to hurt the kitty." She told her team, a little sympathetic with the poor animal. The others nodded and took up positions around the animal who was still distracted by the pain in its eye. Lettuce clacked her castanets and spun around.

"Ribbon Lettuce Rush!" She yelled and a tidal wave of water smacked into the giant cat. The chimera yowled in anger at getting wet and turned on the fish Mew.

"You know cats do like fish." Emzie snickered from where she sat perched in a tree. Before the cat could pounce on Lettuce, Pie grabbed her and flew up out of reach. The chimera jumped and batted at them with its claws, hissing and spitting. While the giant kitten was distracted, both Pudding and Zakuro managed to hit it with their attacks. All Ichigo had to do was finish it off.

"Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!" She shouted, blasting it with her Strawberry Bell. Masha engulfed the parasite, leaving behind a russet colored kitten. It gave a small meow before Ichigo scooped it up.

"You're not very good at creating Chimera animals are you?" She smirked at Amon. The boy didn't seem insulted.

Well the point of the cat wasn't to kill you. It was simply to get you out in the open." He smiled smugly down at her and pointed behind her. The rebels turned to face a large group of aliens that Ichigo had never seen.

Amon laughed. "Now the real party starts."

Pie, who was still holding Lettuce, quickly lowered them to the ground to stand with their friends.

"Watch out for Fell." He said in a low voice. "He's the one with the dark blue hair. He does hypnosis but only one at a time. And Larka," he continued, pointing to a small girl with white hair, "is his twin sister. Don't look her in the eyes or you'll forget what you're doing. I don't think any of the others have special powers but don't let your guard down. They'll all be good fighters. Turn in a circle so no one can get at our backs. We'll have to pray the others hear us fighting and come to help."

***An Alley Way Two Blocks Down***

Pie was right; the others had heard the fighting. Keeka and Karma had seen the approaching aliens and teleported across the city to gather the rest of the rebel forces. They were short Pie, Tart and Kish but they hoped they were already with the Mews.

"Ok." Keeka started, facing the troops. "Let's do this!" She grinned and they teleported into the middle of the fray. They arrived just in time, as Emzie had teleported into the middle of the rebel's circle and broken it up. Ichigo was fighting with Amon while Zakuro fought with Kar. Fell and Larka were teaming up on Pie, Emzie and another invader went after Semoka. Nile, Mint, Pudding and Lettuce were each fighting an invader, and it wasn't looking good.

"This ought to even things out a bit!" Karma laughed while pulling Larka off of Pie. She delivered a swift kick to the Cyniclon's stomach before dropping her to the ground. Karma and Larka hadn't gotten along very well before and were both more than happy to take it out on each other now. Maya flew to Semoka's side, taking out the nameless invader with a blur of motion. The invaders soon found themselves outnumbered and surrounded, the rebels' weapons forcing them into a tight circle. That is until they realized two people were missing. The invaders cheered when they looked up and found their leader.

In his arms he held Ichigo, a knife positioned under her neck.

"I'd put your weapons down, you're really in no position to negotiate." He laughed, squeezing her closer. "I like the way you feel pressed up against me Kitty." Ichigo felt anger and fear bubble in her stomach. She didn't like that someone else was using Kish's nickname for her. Coming from Kish, it was silly and kind of cute, but coming from Amon it was disgusting and insulting. She hissed in pain as he pressed the knife against her throat. "If any of you make a move I will hurt her." He threatened. Everyone stood still, the rebels held by fear and the invaders wanting to see what happened. Fell snickered and pushed Pie forward.

Amon moved his knife down and slashed it up Ichigo's leg. She screamed and nearly fainted from the pain. Scarlet blood dripped down her leg, splattering to the ground a few feet below.

"Now look what you did. I told you not to move." He chided Pie, clucking his tongue in mock sympathy. Pie glared up at him, wanting to save Ichigo but knowing there was no way to get to her without Amon hurting her. Just then, a flash of light came from the top of the school. They turned to see a tall man with Cyniclon ears but who looked neither completely alien nor completely human. He had long hair that flowed around him. It didn't have any true color, constantly changing hues as he moved. He wore an armored vest that looked like it was made out of some sort of reptilian scales that glinted in the sun.

"I request that you return Mew Ichigo to her friends. If not then I will fight you, I might even kill you for what you have done to her already." The man's voice was quiet but threatening. Amon looked startled for a second but quickly recovered.

"Come at me lizard man." He goaded, switching Ichigo to his other arm so his hand with the knife was free. The blood loss had already taken its toll on her, lulling her into a daze. She hung limply from his arm, knowing she needed to move but not able to make her body respond

The newcomer launched himself off of the roof and came face to face with Amon. The invader lifted his knife and held it in battle position. Lizard man reached to his back and pulled two huge identical swords out of their sheath. Each one had an etching of a giant fire breathing dragon and the animal seemed to come alive, mirroring the stranger's moves. Before Amon could prepare to strike, the stranger had disarmed him and held the tip of his swords underneath his chin. Amon swallowed and opened his arms, dropping Ichigo.

Her body still would not comply with her thoughts and as she plummeted through the air, she could not even make herself scream. She closed her eyes and waited for the hard impact of the ground.

It never came.

She managed to open her eyes again, and found herself staring into the face of the strange lizard man. His eyes were a pale yellow and his pupils were narrowed slits. Though his features seemed sinister, his presences calmed Ichigo immediately. She passed out in his arms, the blood still trickling down her leg. The man looked up but Amon and all the invaders had disappeared, knowing they had been beaten. Pie quickly took Ichigo from the stranger and laid her on the ground. Being a healer, he placed his hands over her wound.

"Her wound is very deep. I will be able to stop the bleeding but I can only speed the healing process for her leg. I cannot heal it completely." As he said this, blood stopped flowing from the wound, and they all saw some of the color return to Ichigo's face.

"Get her back to your base and make sure she is okay." The stranger said, looking at Ichigo with a strange softness. "I have sworn to protect her and I am sorry I was not able to fully do that today."

The Mews all looked up in astonishment, having heard this before from the Blue Knight.

"Aww why does Ichigo always get the cool secret defenders? Pudding wants one too!" Pudding whined but was quickly shushed by the others. The stranger began to retreat but paused a second to look over his shoulder.

"I am here to defend all of you Pudding, not just Ichigo. And please let her know that I am not a lizard man. I am the Dragon Warrior."

**Mwahaha! With a new stalker comes a new protector. Sorry Mew Emzie for making you evil **** but I liked your suggestion about the hypnosis so I had to include you somehow! Who could the Dragon Warrior be? Review/Favorite/Follow to find out!**

**Also I am thinking of putting this as a complete story after about thirty chapters. I will then start a new story and continuing this fanfic in that. It would be much like how soccer-geek has her Alien Uprising trilogy. **


	17. Chapter 17

**Off The Deep End Chapter 16- A Mysterious Customer**

**Before I even start I just want to say that I'm sorry for hurting you Ichigo and I'm sorry for what happens to you in this chapter!**

**Ichigo: No you're not or you wouldn't have written it**

**Me: Where did you even come from?**

**Ichigo: Does it matter where I came from? By the end of this chapter you're going to have me ch…**

**Me: *Covers Ichigo's mouth with my hand* Please ignore her and read the story *Winning smile***

Ichigo's head swam with fuzzy images and strange aliens as she finally started to wake up. She was lying on a soft bed though she couldn't move her leg. Not that she'd want to considering it burned like crazy. Letting out a soft moan, she attempted to push herself up to see where she was. A hand pushed lightly on her shoulder, causing her to lie back down.

"Easy there Kitten." She recognized the voice and was immediately calmed. Kish's amber eyes grinned down at her, happy to see that she was finally conscious.

"What…Where am I?" Ichigo asked, deciding to get her location pinned down before she started asking the hard stuff. Kish chuckled and swept his arm in a wide gesture.

"You're in the luxurious Hotel de la Kish. Otherwise known as my bedroom above the Café." This made Ichigo giggle, which made her leg hurt.

"Ok so then what in the world in wrong with my leg and why is it on fire?" She groaned, instinctively reaching down to feel it. All she could feel was a bulky bandage wrapped around the majority of her thigh, shielding whatever was beneath. Kish took her hand, to comfort himself as much as her.

"Amon." Kish had to stop because even just saying his name awoke a hatred for the Cyniclon. "He grabbed you while you were fighting and he held you hostage to make the rebels release his troops. Then apparently Fell pushed Pie and Amon decided to make an example out of it. Using you. He cut you very deep and even Pie cannot heal it all of the way yet, though he stopped you from bleeding out." Kish's hand was a vice around Ichigo's and she could feel his heart rate increasing. "I swear if I ever see that Amon again I will personally…" but Ichigo stopped him with a slight squeeze of her hand.

"If you're done squashing my hand ," Kish quickly let go, not realizing he had still been gripping it, "How did the others get me back from Amon?" She turned to the side as far as possible and propped her head up on her hand. Kish's eyes narrowed, obviously not wanting to talk about how they had saved her.

"Well they didn't. Some dude in a lizard suit showed up and fought Amon off. Then Amon, being the disgusting little coward he is, dropped you. Lizard man caught you and gave you to Pie. He said something about swearing to protect you. I'm pretty sure it's just your tree hugger turned savior again now that Deep Blue's back. I wouldn't trust him." Kish finished and Ichigo noticed something in his tone.

"Kish, are you _jealous_?" She asked in astonishment, thinking that this 'Lizard man' had to have been pretty amazing to get Kish so worked up. Kish snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Don't be full of yourself." But Ichigo knew it was true. She giggled and let Kish be, knowing that she was too tired to provoke him further. She let her head fall back on the pillow. As she closed her eyes, she thought she heard Kish say something.

It sounded like _"I'm sorry Koneko-chan. Next time I will be there to protect you."_

***A Few Hours Later***

Café Mew Mew hadn't lost its charm over the months and each day the place was packed full of customers. This day was no different. Each table was full and there was a line of people outside, waiting for their turn. With all the hustle and bustle of their work, nobody noticed the boy sitting in the corner booth. Everybody was too busy trying to take and bring out orders to wonder why he was wearing the big rain hat even though there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Nobody noticed the gleam of his fangs as he grinned in satisfaction. And nobody noticed when he suddenly disappeared, the air shimmering slightly where he once sat.

***In The Meeting Ship of The Earth Invasion Fleet***

Skopp was insanely proud of his first mission. He rushed down the hallway of the ship to find Amon. This was the smallest ship in their fleet and was normally used for meetings, conferences or for Amon to talk to The Elders back home. Skopp was very average looking and if not for his ears, could easily pass as a human. His brown hair had not had a chance to grow as long as most Cyniclons preferred and his fangs were barely coming in. He finally located Amon, sitting in at one of the long tables in a tactical meeting with some of his top warriors. The boy disregarded the "Do Not Disturb Meeting in Progress" sign on the door and skipped inside. As Amon heard the door open, his face contorted with anger. Everyone under his command knew how easily angered he was when someone didn't follow orders. His face turned red and he slowly turned to face the intruder. The small boy grinned up at him.

"Skopp what did we talk about?" he asked, leaning down to face the child.

"You said not to interrupt unless it was important. I thought my first mission was important." Skopp seemed to pout a little, something he knew Amon hated but did none the less. Amon's face lit up with remembrance.

"Oh yes my little spy, how did that go?" Skopp beamed at being called a spy and proudly nodded in excitement.

"I just walked right into the Café and no one even noticed me. But yeah I saw Kisshu and Taruto from when Mama used to make you play with them." He said happily and everyone else in the room grinned as well. Amon's hands rubbed together in anticipation. They had located the Mews' headquarters. Now it was only a matter of breaking in and stealing something. Something very valuable.

"Well done little brother." He said, patting Skopp's head.

***At The Café Thirty Minutes Later***

Ichigo was still asleep and Kish had gone downstairs to make her some food. A face peeked in the window, grinning evilly and gesturing to the others to follow him. The air next to Ichigo's head shimmered and soon Amon, Kar and Fell stood next to her sleeping form. Amon bent down and stroked her hair.

"I'm sorry I had to hurt you sweet heart but that idiot Pie just wouldn't listen to me."He reached his arms under her and scooped her up. She groaned in her sleep as he injured leg smacked against his side.

"Oops." He chuckled and disappeared.

Down stairs Kish was looking around for a spoon when he heard the soft telltale sounds of teleportation upstairs. He teleported to his room, not caring if anyone saw. His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach when he saw that the bed was empty.

"Ichigo." He whispered. He screamed her name louder and louder, not believing that he had let this happen to her. The air shimmered in front of him and Pie appeared, worried by the screams. Kish stared past him to the empty bed. "It's my fault. I should have been watching her." Pie turned to see what he was looking at.

"Where is Ichigo? What has happened?" He looked back at Kish who had tears streaming down his cheeks.

"They took her. The invaders took Ichigo."

**Ichigo, if you stopped being pretty, all these creepers wouldn't want you. Sorry for the cliffie but I've got to save everything else for next chapter. Please review/favorite/follow to save Ichigo! Have a super sparkly day!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Off The Deep End Chapter 17-In the Midst of The Enemy**

**I really should be studying but I'd much rather write about TMM. Anywhoo, I feel bad about leaving Ichigo there but it had to be done. I'm beginning to think I'm just a little too attached to writing this story… I do not own TMM or MMP**

*** The Invasion Fleet's Prison Ship***

Amon stared at Ichigo who was still asleep in the bed. He sat behind a wall of one way glass that looked into her room. The room had been designed for prisoners that Amon wanted to win over or freak them out. Amon liked to play head games with his prisoners. He'd capture them and then attempt to become their friends. Once he had gotten everything he needed, he threw them into the prison cells on the lower decks of the ship. The rooms were designed to be comfortable but offer nothing the prisoner could use as a weapon. The cat girl moaned in pain and began to wake up. Amon decided it was time to visit her.

Ichigo's leg was still killing her, she could feel the heat of infection in it.

"Kish." She called, hoping the alien was still in his room. He didn't answer so she called out again. An ominous chuckle reached her ears. Opening her eyes ,she automatically knew she wasn't in the room above the café.

"Kish isn't here at the moment. You'll just have to make do with me." Hearing the voice, she bolted up, sending a jolt of pain through her thigh. Amon smirked at her, his eyes triumphant and sinister. "Let's get started shall we?"

***Café Mew Mew***

** "**I'm so stupid!" Kish yelled at himself. Kish had been berating himself since Ichigo's kidnapping the night before. He dropped his head into his hands, his eyes watering again. The Café had been closed for the day so that they could search for Ichigo. Kish had just returned from scouring the city all night, and between his exhaustion and Ichigo's absence, he was falling apart. "I shouldn't have left her! I should have…" Pie slammed his fist on the counter of the café.

"Kisshu, you went to get her food. You could not have known that Amon would come here. Blaming yourself is not going to find Ichigo." Pie knew that he would be doing the same thing if Amon had taken Lettuce, but he also hoped that Kisshu would tell him to get it together. His adopted brother looked up at him, a steely resolve entering his eyes.

"You're right. I promised that I would protect her. I will find her and if Amon has laid a finger on her I will personally tear him apart." The green haired alien rose from where he had slumped against the counter. He followed Pie to the basement, where Keiichiro and Ryou were messing with their computers.

"We can't get a solid signal on her pendant. The tracker will light up on the map but only stays lit for a few seconds. It's not enough for us to pinpoint where it is." Ryou explained, his point proved when a dot lit up on the map on the computer nearest to Kish. Just as quickly as it appeared, it blinked back out. "I think someone is tampering with the pendant. The way it's built, however, will keep them from dismantling it. As soon as they leave it be for a while, we will have her location." Kish nodded and pulled Pie back upstairs.

"We need to get back to our ship. We'll use the scanner to find their fleet. I'm almost certain they'll be keeping her there." They teleported to their ship and Kish booted up the scanner. As it hummed to life, five large dots appeared on the screen. They were nestled in a group on a golf course near Tokyo Tower. Kisshu shut down the scanner and stood up.

"Contact the others. We're going to save Ichigo."

***The Prison Ship***

** "**Ichigo kitten, we can make this easy or we can make this hard." Amon lightly ran his fingers over her injury. Even this little touch made Ichigo hiss in pain.

"Don't call me that." She growled through gritted teeth. Amon put a little weight on the hand that was on her leg.

"Don't call you kitten? But Kisshu calls you that all the time." He grinned as she whimpered in pain. Ichigo bit her lip to keep the tears from leaving her eyes. She would not let this monster she her cry.

"You're not Kisshu." She answered, not able to say much else. Amon's eyes glimmered with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. He smiled down at her, a thought suddenly springing into his mind. He slipped his fingers to the edge of the bandage covering her wound.

"Tell me Ichigo, what is it about Kisshu? Everyone thinks he's some great hero but I grew up with him. I know he's just a selfish, weak, traitor who deserves to rot for turning against Deep Blue. How do I defeat him? What is his weakness?" The invader wiggled his fingers so Ichigo knew exactly what he planned to do if she didn't answer him. So she bit into her lip and spoke around her teeth.

"Bite me." Amon laughed at her, grinning to show his fangs.

"Tempting, but wrong answer." He gripped the edge of her bandage and ripped it up. Ichigo screamed despite herself. Black spots swam across her vision as her body curled away from Amon's hands. He threw the bandage to the floor and watched as blood poured out of her reopened wound.

"Now, maybe you'd like to try this again."

***At The Base Of Tokyo Tower***

"I just got a call from Ryou. The ship she's in is right in the middle." Pie informed the group of rebels surrounding him and Kisshu. Kish took over, splitting them into four groups.

"There's twenty-one…twenty of us. four to each group. Pie, Keeka, and Toge with me. Then I want at least one Mew with each group. If we get separated, meet back at the Café. If any of you find her call me immediately." Everyone nodded and split up. Each of the Mews grabbed an alien and they teleported themselves in front of the middle most ship. Kish pressed an ear to the side of the ship, listening intently for a few seconds before gesturing for them to teleport inside. The ship was quiet and the rebels looked around. Three hallways branched off from the room and there was a staircase leading both upstairs and downstairs. Mint's group went upstairs, Zakuro's took downstairs, Pudding's went to the left hallway, Lettuce's decided on the right and Kish's group took the middle hall. In the quiet, a scream echoed through the ship. Kish's breath caught in his chest.

"We've got to find her."

** *The Prison Ship***

Ichigo watched as Amon held a small hand held device up to his ear. His face contorted with anger but a creepily calm façade quickly slipped back over it. He grinned down at Ichigo, her face now an ashy pale color. Her leg was bloody and bruised, having been the focus of Amon's torture.

"Sorry sweetie but it looks like I've got a bit of company waiting for me. Don't worry, I won't be away too long." He smirked and left the room.

Ichigo knew she needed to try to leave but the blood loss had put her in a stupor and her leg was swollen to at least twice its original size. She used her arms to push herself over. The drop from the bed to the floor was longer than she had expected and the impact of her body on the tile made her cry out. Clawing her way across the floor, she slowly made her way to the door. She could only pray that Amon hadn't locked the door when he left. Ichigo craned upward, stretching her arm to reach the handle. Her vision tunneled and the handle looked impossibly far. The red head wrapped her fingers around it, using her weight to pull it down. She managed to pull herself up, propping herself up on the door and putting all of her weight onto her good leg. The hallway was empty and Ichigo slowly eased herself from the room.

_I've got to get down this hallway. I will survive if I get out of this ship._ She encouraged herself, sliding along the wall. She had only taken a few steps when she felt her energy drain away. Ichigo crashed to the ground, only having the energy to let out a puff of strained air. She looked up and saw a streak of blood along the wall. The throbbing of her leg matched the pounding of her heart. Then Ichigo realized the sound wasn't her heart. It was footsteps.

Someone was coming down the hallway.

**Aaaand another cliffie. I hope the scenes with Amon weren't too gory. I didn't want to freak anyone out. Please review/follow/favorite and have a super sparkly day!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Off The Deep End Chapter 18- The Battle Of The Prison Ship**

**Due to the fact I will not be coming home tomorrow after school, I'm posting this tonight.**

**I actually wrote most of this during my chemistry class. Probably should have been paying attention…..oh whale. I was going to ma…**

**Ichigo: Will you please hurry up?**

**Me: *groans* You're back again?**

**Ichigo: Yes and I'd like to know what happens to me in the prison ship. So I'll finish up for you. Blah blah blah I don't own TMM or MMP blah blah Let's get on with the story**

Kish moved slowly through the hallway, his swords drawn. His group followed along behind him with an eerie silence, their weapons out as well. A sound echoed from up ahead and the procession stopped. The green haired leader pressed a finger to his lips and slowly crept around the corner. A body lay on the floor, pale and covered in blood.

"Ichigo!" Kisshu leapt forward, recognizing her underneath the gore. The others walked slower, checking the hallway for any sign of an ambush. Ichigo didn't respond and Kish's hands were frantic as he attempted to locate a pulse. He finally felt it, weak and slow, and let out a small sigh of relief.

"Kish." Ichigo whispered, her eyes fluttering open. The maroon orbs were unfocused and glazed over in pain. He cradled her head in his arms and gently wiped the sweat and tears from her cheeks. Her eyes closed again.

"She's alive but we've got to get her to a hospital quickly." Kisshu told the others as he bent to pick her up. As soon as his hand touched her leg Ichigo let out a scream, her back arching off the ground in agony. Kish finally took a good look at her leg. It was swollen and covered with forming bruises. Her wound had been reopened, the edges jagged and inflamed. His throat choked up as he stared in horror at what had been done to his Koneko-chan.

"I'll kill him." He declared, his face contorting with rage. Ichigo moaned in pain beneath him. "Pie I know you can't completely heal her leg but can you heal it enough so we can move her?"

Pie gave a sharp nod and bent to put his hands over the red head's injured leg. His brow furrowed in confusion as nothing happened.

"My powers are not working." He muttered, his hands falling uselessly to his side. His younger brother cursed and brushed the hair out of Ichigo's face.

"I'm very sorry kitten. I'm not trying to hurt you." In one swift movement the girl was huddled gently against his chest. The injured Mew whimpered in pain but stayed unconscious. "Let's get out of here."

They didn't move.

"I can't teleport!" Toge said, his eyes going wide with fear and realization. "It was all a…"

"Trap." Kish finished. "This whole thing was a trap." He looked down at his precious bundle and held her a little closer.

"I will get you out of here if it's the last thing I do."

***The Staircases ***

Mint's group had silently ascended the stairs, only to find a control room and a bathroom. Neither were occupied and they decided to go back to the main room in case anyone needed help.

Zakuro's group however, was not so lucky. As they went lower into the ship's belly, a horrible stench rose to greet them. Zakuro (being transformed) and the aliens' sense of smell was greater than that of a human, but the rebels were certain that even a human would be sickened by the odor. The group reached the bottom of the stairs only to come face to face with two Cyniclon guards.

"Hey who are you?" One asked. Zakuro grinned as Gaut snuck behind them, his hands moving quickly over their bodies until they were each lying on the floor, awake but unable to speak or move.

"So that's chi blocking." Zakuro murmured, quite impressed. Gaunt nodded proudly and the group stepped over the guards. A long hallway stretched before them, dimly lit and emitting the horrible stench. Her wolf ears swiveled as she picked up sounds of moans and coughs. That's when she realized where they were.

They were in the ship's dungeon.

***The Right Hallway***

Lettuce led her group down the hallway, noticing the evenly spaced doors. Some had weird names written on them while others remain blank. One door in particular caught Lettuce's attention. It was covered in glitter and had a name written across it in golden letters.

"Emzie. She was the one who called me a fish right?" The green haired mew asked. She didn't normally mind being referred to as the fish Mew, it was usually cute and endearing. Coming from Emzie though it was condescending and rude.

"That would be the one." Karma said. "I really hate that chick. Think we can do some…uh….room service while we're here?" She asked hopefully. Maya let out a chuckle and the other alien in Lettuce's group, Riff, smiled affectionately at Karma.

"No we don't have time for that. We need to find Ichigo and get out of here. This place gives me the creeps." Everyone could agree with Lettuce on that. The ship was strangely quiet and their footsteps echoed down the hallway. "But Ichigo might be in Amon's room. If the rest of the rooms are in this hallway maybe his is as well." The others nodded and followed her, keeping their eyes open for anything that might signal that it was the leader's room. Maya rolled her eyes as she passed another decorated door.

"They act like they're at summer camp." She used her Cyniclon claws to pull a cluster of pictures off a door, letting it slide to the ground. Riff pointed up ahead, drawing everyone's attention to the last door in the hallway.

"It's kind of separate, it looks bigger and it's at the very end. I think we've got a winner!" He said in T.V. announcer sort of voice. The girls shushed him and he threw Karma a mischievous grin. Lettuce placed her hand on the door handle and held her fingers up to signal a countdown.

_1….2….3…_

She pulled the door open and found…..nothing. No one was currently in the room though it looked like someone had been recently.

"Looking for something?" an annoying voice asked from behind the group. They all groaned and turned to face Emzie….

And about thirty other Cyniclon invaders.

***The Left Hallway***

Pudding's group hadn't passed a single door and she was seriously getting bored. Tart had to keep reminding her that it was better to be bored than to have to fight someone. She had two others in her group, the weather alien Semoka and the tall one named Loki. Pudding was beginning to think that Loki had a crush on Semoka. Every time they heard a sound, he stepped protectively in front of her, raising his club in defense. Semoka didn't mind though because her power wouldn't be of much use inside. She promised herself that she would get some fighting lessons from Loki when they got back to the café. The hallway began to curve around and Pudding realized where it was going.

"If it keeps up like this Pudding thinks we will end up in the hallway with Lettuce's group. If that happens Pudding thinks we should…" She stopped as they rounded the corner. She had been right, her hallway dumped them into Lettuce's. She even saw Lettuce but was separated from them by a sea of invading aliens.

"Stay here." She ordered her group. Flipping into the air, Pudding reenacted one of the crowd pleasers from when she performed in the park. She jumped lightly from head to head, making her way quickly across the group of aliens. The monkey Mew landed in front of Lettuce, turning to bow to her 'audience'. One of them gave a little clap but was quickly silenced by his team mates.

"Lettuce I was just telling my group that we should be coming across yours at any moment. But like I always say, go through the middle and get to the main room! My mama taught me that." The acrobatic waved goodbye and repeated her routine across the crowd of strangers. Lettuce looked baffled for a minute, wondering what in the world Pudding was talking about. Then she understood and turned to whisper the plan to her group. The green haired girl nodded across at Pudding, signaling for her to move first.

"Follow me guys!" She yelled and Tart smacked one of the aliens with his clacker balls. Then the whole group turned to run back the way they had come, chased by an angry bunch of aliens.

***The Main Room Of The Ship***

Kish held Ichigo against his chest, the rest of his group stood around him, poised and ready to strike. Mint's group had joined them shortly after they had arrived back in the main room, but there was no sign of the others.

"Do you think they have run into trouble?" Pie asked, thinking of Lettuce. His answer came in the form of the pounding of many feet running down the right and left halls. As Pudding and Lettuce's group burst out, followed by many aliens they had never seen before, Pie looked worriedly at Kisshu.

"You must get her out of here." He yelled to him, but his adopted brother hesitated, looking at all the people he was responsible for.

"She is their leader Kisshu, if they are to save their planet they need her alive. Get her help and then come back for us. We'll hold them off as long as possible." Mint and Kish's group broke apart to aid their friends in fighting the newcomers. Nile was a blur as he flitted around a very confused looking invader. Omahu was currently talking a male troop into handing him his weapons and then chaining himself with his own handcuffs. Loki was beating a guy who had tried to fight Semoka. "We've got this." He told Kish confidently. What he didn't tell him was that he couldn't see Amon and that meant he was probably going for back up. He didn't tell him that he could hear more feet running through the hallways and within minutes the rebels would probably be overrun with invaders. The green haired Cyniclon nodded and pressed the button on the wall to open the door to the ship. His eyes widened in fear as it lowered, revealing Amon and a huge fighting force.

"Kish," he chuckled, "You really didn't think I was going to let you spoil my fun that easily did you?"

**Aaaaand another cliffie. Sorry not sorry. I'm in serious love with Omahu's character though because I imagine him to be that really cute confident guy who gets everything he wants just by talking. Hopefully our rebels make it out okay and in one piece! Review/favorite/follow to save them!**

**Lol right before I posted this I realized that I had said Gaunt teleported behind the guards and then I remembered that no one can teleport on the ship. Oh and while on that topic, Guant's chi blocking isn't restricted because technically it's not a 'power'. It's him hitting certain places on a person's body in order to block the nerves so they don't receive impulses from the brain. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Off The Deep End Chapter 19- The Battle Of The Prison Ship Part 2**

**I actually wrote this as part of last chapter but it ended up being very long so I decided to split it up. Remember a few chapters back when I said I had a timeline planned out for what each chapter was going to be about? Yeah I've basically just thrown that whole thing out the window with these last few chapters because I couldn't end them the way I had wanted. Honestly, I think they turned out better than I had planned anyway so it just means I've got to write more chapters of this story before I break it off into a second story (which will all be explained later). But right now, Kisshu, and an unconscious Ichigo are facing a huge problem and where in the world is Zakuro's team? Read on to find out!**

**I do not own TMM or MMP**

Kisshu stared in horror at the sea of faces that blocked the exit. Some of them he recognized from back home while others he wasn't sure he had ever seen. They crowded around Amon who gave Kish a smug smirk.

"I can't let you just waltz out of here with my little toy Kisshu, we were having so much fun!" Only the weight of Ichigo in his arms stopped Kish from launching himself at the enemy leader in rage. His eyes narrowed angrily and he clutched Ichigo's sleeping form to his chest.

"I swear if you ever touch her again I will rip you limb from limb and scatter your body out for the crows." He hissed through his teeth, making Amon let out a slight chuckle.

"Oh is that a threat?" He turned to roll his eyes at the alien behind him as if Kish was being a drama queen.

"No." Kisshu glared at him. "It's a promise." The black haired alien shrugged his shoulders and gestured to two large aliens.

"Kill him and bring the girl to me. She's proving to be especially fun." He ordered, throwing a mocking glance at Kisshu when he talked about Ichigo. Kish's face was red in anger and as the bigger aliens approached him, he suddenly disappeared. "You idiots! Did you only put the force field around the inside of the ship?" Amon's voice was enraged and even the giant Cyniclons winced in fear. Grumbling about how he was surrounded by imbeciles, he stomped inside to join in the battle.

***Café Mew Mew***

Keiichiro and Ryou were waiting anxiously for the rescue groups to return. The air shimmered near the computers and Kisshu stumbled out holding an unconscious red head in his arms.

"What happened?" Keiichiro asked as he pried Ichigo from Kish's arms. The alien let her go reluctantly, watching as the scientist laid her on the cot that Masaya had been on weeks before. Ryou helped him hook various tubes and sensors to her arms, making sure not to bump or touch her leg.

"I will explain later, right now I must get back to the others. If she wakes up before I get back please tell her…I'm sorry." His face slowly hardened as he looked at Ichigo lying on the cot, looking feeble and broken. His normally care free façade was replaced with the fierce look of a warrior. Then he teleported back to the ship.

***Back at the ship***

Lettuce looked around, attempting to locate her teammates in the mass of enemy aliens.

"Pie!" She called, finally spotting the tall Cyniclon's head over the fighting. "We need to get outside. Once we do the others can use their powers." He nodded and tried to move towards the still open hatch. The others saw Pie's retreat towards the door and attempted to follow. There was too many of the invaders for any of the rebels to move far without being pounced on by another enemy. Pie shook his head in desperation, searching the ship to see if Kisshu had returned yet. Before he could spot him, Amon jumped in front of him, sword draw.

"Well this should be fun." The rival snickered and lunged at the purple haired alien. Pie blocked the attack with his fans. When Pie had returned to his planet, he had his fan covered in a strong, sharp metal and had an identical one created to give him a pair. This allowed him to use the fans in hand to hand combat and use them for his wind, lightening and ice attacks. He lashed out with his fan, catching Amon's arm. A long gash appeared in the Cyniclon's arm, red blood bubbling across his clothes. Pie smirked.

"That was for Ichigo." He jumped backwards as Amon swung his sword.

"You'll pay for that Ikisatashi." Amon growled and advance upon the slightly older alien. They circled each other for a few seconds before rushing in, neither able to get a hit on the other. Then they stepped back out, repeating their deadly dance. He risked a glance at his comrades, and immediately wished he hadn't. They were badly outnumbered and many of his friends were faced with more than one adversary. The aliens who had powers were having a hard time fighting without their supernatural help. Lot, the small water bender, was struggling to evade a large invader's sword and Semoka was clinging to the back of a female alien, trying to make her drop her sword. Lilac and Nile were holding their own against enemies twice their size, but then again those two didn't depend on their powers to fight. Strangely, Omahu was still able to use his charm speak and was currently recruiting temporary members for the rebel army. The poor soul would attack his teammates and then a few seconds later look really confused as to what he was doing. Pie turned back to his own fight, and found he had been distracted too long. Amon crowed with triumph as he placed his sword underneath the oldest Ikisatashi's chin. He would have killed him had a mass of angry prisoners not followed Zakuro's team up the staircase and attacked the invaders.

***Downstairs About Thirty Minutes Before The Fight***

Zakuro stared in mute horror at the decimated beings caged through the hallway. Some looked as though they had been kept here for years while others, who weren't as malnourished, may have been captured more recently. She searched their faces quickly, trying not to focus on any face that didn't resemble Ichigo's. Though she was hoping to find her leader quickly, she prayed that she wasn't confined to one of the dirty cells. She reached the end of the hallway and looked in desperation at all of the alleys that branched off of it.

"Looking for someone in particular cutie? You don't really look like the guard type." A filthy, skinny male Cyniclon coughed inside his prison. He smiled, showing his teeth weren't in much better shape. Zakuro considered ignoring him but then realized he was probably her best bet at finding Ichigo before the whole invading army was on them. She cautiously approached his chamber, eyeing him suspiciously. He noticed her hesitation and his smile saddened. "Just because we're in here doesn't mean we did anything wrong. That Amon fellow has a chip on his shoulder against anyone who even looks at him wrong." Zakuro nodded, sensing the man's sincerity.

"Have they brought in a human girl, a teenager with red hair? She probably would have been unconscious." The wolf Mew asked, searching the prisoner's face for any sign of recognition. To Zakuro's disappointment, he shook his head.

"I would have remembered if they brought a human in here." He stated. The Mew was about to ask something else when Maya came running down the stairs and into the prison.

"Zakuro." She panted clearly out of breath. "There's a fight. Upstairs. Need. Help. Not. Winning." The others in Zakuro's group looked ready to bolt upstairs and join their friends. Zakuro stopped them. She turned to look at the Cyniclon in the cell.

"How would you like your chance to get back at Amon?" She asked. He his lit up at the prospect of revenge and he nodded eagerly.

Minutes later they had retrieved the key from one of the chi-blocked guards and released the man who introduced himself as Monty. His strength had returned with the offer to fight and he quickly pointed out the others in the prison who would be able to aid them as well.

"Many who have been here a while are too sick and underfed but a bunch of us, including me, were picked up a few weeks ago. We all can still fight." He unlocked doors quickly, angry mistreated aliens filling the aisles. Zakuro looked at all of them in satisfaction.

"Let's do this."

***Fast Forward Back To The Main Room***

Pie stared in amazement as ragged Cyniclons filled the room, quickly taking over the fight. They pulled invaders off of the rebels and fought with a ferocity that could only be brought on by injustice. Enemy aliens let out yells of shock as they realized the tide had turned and now they were the ones badly outnumbered.

"Retreat!" Amon yelled over the din of fighting. "Get to the Armory ship!" His aliens disentangled themselves from the rebels, running as fast as possible to exit the ship. Their leader stopped to glare at the rebels. "You may have won this battle but trust me it won't be the last." He sneered before following his troops. The prisoners started after him but Pie put up his hand.

"I think they have had enough for today. In the mean time, can any of you fly a hover ship?" He asked looking at the prisoners, all of whom looked like they needed a good meal and shower. The one who was talking to Zakuro stepped forward.

"I can. I used to be in the army before you left." He said, recognizing Pie who was partially in control of the military at home. Pie gave him a salute, thinking that when he got home and regained control, he would promote this man.

"Because I think it is time you guys got to go home." He grinned as the prisoners let out cheers, some of them even tearing up at the prospect of returning to their lives. Monty nodded and saluted him back.

** *A Few Hours Later***

The invaders hadn't been seen since their retreat and the rebels had freed all of the prisoners. They were quick to provide water and food from the kitchen on the ship and even found extra food in the rooms of the invaders. The prisoners couldn't thank them enough for liberating them and many were star struck by meeting Ikisatashi's and the Mews. As everyone was being taken care of, Monty pulled Pie and Kish aside.

"The boys and I have decided that when we get back home, we're going to help you fight. We'll raise some heck up there for the Elders." He grinned, having been reinvigorated by the fight. Pie nodded his thanks.

"Do not do anything too risky, but we thank you for all you have done today and all you plan to do when you return." The older brother said. Kish smiled, encouraged by the old soldiers determination.

"We have to go now. All of our thanks go with you and I hope you travel safely." He dipped his head in respect.

The rebels watched cheering prisoners lean out the windows as the ship rose off the ground. Monty waved from where he sat in the control room, and the Mews detransformed.

"Now let's go see Ichigo."

**Awww Monty was a cute old man soldier. I realize Monty is a dog's name but I really couldn't come up with a better name. I actually kind of forgot Kish was back in the battle until the end but that wasn't too bad was it? Please review/favorite/follow!**

**P.s. Sorry if the next chapters are depressing or whatever. I'm having problems at school with my friends and I'm really upset. Hopefully writing about the Rebels kicking people's butts makes me feel better :p**


	21. Chapter 21

**Off The Deep End Chapter 20- Learning to Heal**

**Thank you to everyone for all of your support and especially to kisshuismylife for being amazing and letting me talk to her.. Basically I've been watching Nicholas Sparks movies to make me feel better. Maybe that's why this chapter is so sappy….**

Ichigo's leg was healing quickly but Kisshu feared her spirit wasn't faring as well. It had been two weeks since her kidnapping and she still flinched when anyone raised their hand or moved too quickly.

It broke Kish's heart.

A teleportation shield had been placed around the café so you could teleport from inside the café but not from outside and Ichigo's parents had been told that she was on a long vacation with Zakuro. She still slept in Kish's room and, despite her protests, Kish slept on the floor near the bed so he was there if she needed anything. Everyone did everything for her, from brushing her teeth to carrying her up and down the stairs.

Ichigo hated it. She wanted to be allowed to take care of herself and she wanted to go home. Every time she looked down at her leg, she remembered Amon's fist smashing into it, igniting her with pain. His face, twisted with a sardonic smile, haunted her dreams, causing her to thrash and cry out in her sleep. Whenever this happened, Kish got off the floor and into the bed, wrapping his arms around her and holding her still. She was never awake for any of it, but a sudden peace would come over her as soon as he touched her and Amon's face would disappear. As the Cyniclon held her shivering body, he wondered what exactly had happened to her and reminded himself that the next time he saw Amon, he would beat him to a pulp. Then she would quiet down and settle into a more peaceful sleep and Kish would slip out of the bed and back down to the floor. As he saw this vulnerable side of her, a side she tried to keep hidden from everyone else, Kish felt his heart swell with feelings for her, feelings he knew she would never return.

But maybe Kish was wrong, for even as he tried to quell his feelings, Ichigo wondered what exactly her own heart was feeling. She too saw a side of her roommate she hadn't thought existed. He was so gentle when he scooped her out of the bed, cradling her carefully against his chest. He would smile down at her while teleporting her downstairs and find a seat in the sunlight, knowing she loved the warmth on her skin. The fact that he knew so much about her without her ever telling him boggled her mind and made her heart skip. She began to be entranced by his golden eyes, a miracle in itself considering a few months ago she had hated him passionately. He was still Kisshu, sarcastic and carefree, but he had shown that he had a wonderfully compassionate side and Ichigo was beginning to feel things she didn't think she would ever be able to feel for anyone but Masaya.

Ichigo laid in bed and refused to eat the soup Lettuce was attempting to spoon feed her. Even though she knew the green Mew was only trying to help, she was getting annoyed.

"Lettuce my hands and arms still work perfectly fine, just let me do it myself!" she finally snapped. Kisshu, who was leaning his back against the bed near Ichigo's feet, snickered. He was glad to see that she was finally getting some of her independence back, some of her old spirit showing herself. Lettuce sighed and set the bowl down on the nightstand.

"Ichigo you've barely eaten anything for the past two weeks. I know you're upset and scared but that doesn't mean I'm just going to stand by and let you starve yourself." She growled, becoming uncharacteristically angry for the fish Mew. Ichigo's eyes widened and then she started to laugh. Though Lettuce was annoyed, she was also relieved. It was the first time she had heard the red head's laugh since the kidnapping. Kish was laughing as well, his heart lightened by hearing her laugh again.

"Lettuce I've been eating plenty." Ichigo finally got out between gasping for air and bursting out laughing again. Lettuce's eyes narrowed.

"Don't lie to me Ichigo. Every plate we send up here comes back down almost untouched. Someone would have to be bringing you….. Kisshu!" She finally realized what was going on and turned her glare on the alien. He smirked at her and shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, she told you she didn't like the stuff you guys were giving her." He said and Lettuce continued to glare.

"She needs to be eating good food not the junk food I'm sure you've been bringing her. What exactly has she been eating?" Her eyes widened in anger and disbelief as the green haired Cyniclon produced a bag full of food wrappers. Many were from Chick-fil-a, McDonald's and Burger King. She shook her head in annoyance and stomped over to the door.

"You are impossible Ikisatashi. She's not going to get better by eating that junk." She groaned before slamming the door and storming downstairs to tell the others. Kisshu grinned at Ichigo who was still trying to stifle giggles.

"It's good to hear your laugh again." He smiled and Ichigo beamed up at him.

"Thanks for not treating me like an invalid. I think the combination of homesickness and being babied by everyone is really what's getting me down." She explained, knowing that it was a little more than that. Yes, she was still scared that Amon was going to come back and take her. She had never met anyone so sick and twisted as to torture another person. But she also knew that it was something she had to get over. It's not like she didn't think he was evil in the first place. Her team and the aliens (and the whole world for that matter) needed her to get better so that she could protect it. What happened to her shouldn't happen to anyone, but this was war. She had to be strong.

"Would you like to go downstairs now? I'm sure the others would like to give us a piece of their minds about our little private dinners." He chuckled, knowing Pie would probably side with his precious Lettuce. Over the weeks, the two had been basically glued to each other, going out almost every night and constantly texting or calling. They didn't even talk about interesting stuff, just books they had read and research they had done.

"I think a little fight is exactly what I need to cheer me up." He scooped up the red head and teleported, happy to see his Koneko-chan was starting to act like her old self again.

Ichigo was back.

***Scene Divider***

When Kish and Ichigo reached the kitchen, everyone was already standing around. Lettuce, Pie and Mint looked annoyed, while Pudding, Tart and Ryou looked like they had been laughing. Zakuro looked bored and well Keiichiro always looked happy. The other aliens were all on patrol duty, making sure the invaders weren't causing any trouble.

"Do you know how worried we were about you?" Mint yelled as soon as they appeared. Ichigo was taken aback by her anger.

"You do care about me!" Ichigo giggled, holding out her hands for a hug. Mint sighed and awkwardly hugged the girl.

"You had us worried sick." The bird Mew growled in her ear. Lettuce nodded in agreement.

"Ichigo we really thought we had lost you, that you had given up. The first few days you wouldn't talk and the next few after that the only person you talked to was Kisshu." Ichigo didn't remember much from that, just the pain of her healing leg and Pie coming in every day to try and heal it more. She had slept through most of it anyway. After she had finally been able to stay awake, she had been too embarrassed to talk to anyone about it. She was their leader and yet, she had let herself be beaten and tortured. She was supposed to be strong and fearless and yet she had laid there and let him hurt her without even trying to do anything.

"I'm sorry." She finally whispered, her cheerful mood gone and tears coming to her eyes. She tried to stop them, having not let herself cry since she had gotten back, but they spilled over and onto her cheeks. "I was just so embarrassed. They all looked at her in stunned silence, not understanding why in the world she would be ashamed of what had happened. Before anyone could say anything, Kisshu teleported back upstairs. He sat on the bed, cradling Ichigo against him.

"Ichigo, why are you embarrassed?" He asked quietly, letting the Mew sniffle a while before she answered.

"Because I'm supposed to be the leader, I'm supposed to take care of them. How can I take care of them when I can't even take care of myself?" Her watery maroon eyes flickered up to meet his golden ones. He felt her body shake as she cried, and he held her like he did when she had the nightmares.

"You were injured badly, there's no way you would have even been able to fight, even if he hadn't taken your pendant. Which, by the way, Pie recovered from their tech room." He produced the round gold stone. She held it in her hands feeling its power, her power, flow through it. "Plus Kitten, being a leader isn't about being fearless and indestructible. It's about bringing people together who will fight for what they believe in and having the courage to face your fears, especially when you're indestructible." He gently wiped tears from her cheeks, the soft skin blushing red under his hand. "And we did fight for what we believe in. We fought for you." He smiled down at her.

"But why should the rebels risk themselves for me?" Ichigo asked, not understanding what he was getting at.

"Because you saved us all once and we believe you will save us all again. They have chosen you as their leader Ichigo, we all have. They want you to lead them against the invaders, to save their world once again." Ichigo's head was spinning and it wasn't from the teleportation.

She couldn't understand why they would choose her. She was the leader of the Mews yes, but that didn't mean she was any better than any of them. There were so many others who would be better leaders.

"I know you think you're not good enough Ichigo, but that's one of the reasons why you are. You're not arrogant but you are confident. You are impulsive but you also think things through. No matter what you think, you inspire these people and they would follow you anywhere. And that, Ichigo, is what makes a leader a leader. Never forget that." Kish brushed her hair back out of her face so that he could look down into her eyes. During his speech, they had regained the spark they had held before her kidnapping. Her face glowed with a renewed strength and confidence, and as she pulled back from Kish, she realized something else.

"I can't do this alone." She stated and Kish looked at her incredulously.

"You don't think I was just going to up and leave you did I? I've put too much work into you to just let you go." He joked and Ichigo smiled. She realized that she was still cuddled against him and something about the embrace seemed familiar.

"It was you." She gasped, her mind whirling with thoughts and emotions. Kisshu looked confused and stared at her, waiting for her to explain.

"You're the one who chases the nightmares away. I remember now. I had woken up screaming one night and you were in my bed with me. When I saw you there, I automatically knew everything was going to be alright. I thought it was just a dream and barely remembered it the next morning." She bit her lip, hoping it hadn't really been a dream. Kish blushed and nodded, wondering if she was angry about it.

"I'm sorry I know I shouldn't have gotten in bed with you but you were screaming and crying and I…" The look on Ichigo's face stopped him though. It was a look she had given Masaya many times but a look Kish had never thought would be directed towards himself.

Ichigo didn't understand what she was feeling. She had felt like this before with Masaya, but this time the feeling was stronger. She stared into Kisshu's eyes, noticing for the first time how very human they looked. He had been there for her when she needed him. He had seen her when she was an absolute mess and still managed to care for her. She had repeatedly rejected him and yet, here he was, hugging her to himself and soothing away her fears. She knew then that she did have strong feelings for the alien and she wanted to know what his lips felt like.

Kisshu leaned towards her, hesitating to search her face for confirmation. He obviously found it. Their lips were about to meet when the air shimmered near them.

"Hey! You're not supposed to be doing anything to stressful." Tart snickered.

**Umm that chapter was very random. Sorry about that. But at least we almost got a Kishigo kiss… sort of…. Please review/follow/favorite and let me know what you think.**

**P.s. I started a new (unrelated) story called Shadow Kiss. Please let me know what you think about it!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Off The Deep End Chapter 21- A Dream Wedding**

**So I've decided on an updating plan that will allow me to work on both Shadow Kiss and OTDE. They will be posted on alternating days, i.e. OTDE today, SK tomorrow. Also I've started reading the Mortal Instruments and may I just say that it is awesome! This chapter is going to be a mix of fluff and action. Enjoy! I do not own TMM!**

Ichigo's leg was completely healed and mind wasn't far behind. The talk with Kisshu had made her realize she didn't need to keep everything bottled up inside. The alien had been a better medicine than any of the plethora of concoctions Pie and Keiichiro cooked up. Though they hadn't talked about their almost kiss, it was always in the back of their minds. Ichigo watched as the green haired Cyniclon took orders, smirking at the teen girls who swooned over him and Pie. Ichigo felt an unpleasant feeling bubble in the pit of her stomach and she didn't realize she was nearly bending the tray held in her hands until Lettuce tapped her shoulder.

"Um maybe you should take a break." She whispered, pulling Ichigo into the kitchen. The red head's ears popped out, laying flat against her head in a way that showed Lettuce she was angry. Luckily, the kitchen was empty and Lettuce led the angry Mew over to a stool.

"How do you sit there and watch all of those girls drool over Pie?" She growled, her maroon eyes narrowed. Lettuce let out a small laugh and shook her head.

"First of all, I know Pie is just being polite to them. Second, I trust him. But Pie and I are going out and have been very open with our feelings with each other. Have you even told Kish that you liked him?" She laughed again as the cat Mew's ears and tails stuck straight up, her face turning scarlet.

"Who said anything about liking? What? What would make you think I like Kish?" She flustered, trying to act nonchalant but failing miserably.

"Ichigo, Tart told everyone about how he saw you two basically making out. I think the whole 'we don't like each other' thing is sort of moot." Lettuce sighed and Ichigo's ears drooped and then receded.

"We didn't kiss."

Lettuce rolled her eyes, knowing that Ichigo needed to stop lying to herself. It seemed that everyone but Ichigo and Kish could see how enamored they were with each other. She decided to follow Pudding's lead from when her and Pie were tip toeing around each other, and take matters into her own hands.

"You two need to talk about this." She walked quickly back into the café before Ichigo could protest. Beckoning to Kish, she hurried back to the kitchen, grabbing Ichigo's arm before she could bolt out the back door. "You are having this talk and you are having it now."

Ichigo glared at her. "Having a boyfriend really made you assertive." Lettuce blushed and hoped Ichigo wouldn't be too mad about it. She knew the pair needed to talk about everything but she also knew that Ichigo would be too embarrassed to make a move on her own. Lettuce left as Kish entered, wiping his hands on a towel.

"What's she want?"Ichigo gulped, feeling her hands start sweating and her ears pop out again. She opened her mouth, only to be cut off as Ryou walked into the kitchen. No matter how assertive Lettuce had become, nothing would make Ichigo have a talk about her feelings in front of Ryou.

"I need the Mews to get ready to go. I've been asked to provide a wait staff for a friend's wedding. The aliens and Keiichiro will stay here and run the café." He said, pulling various plates of prewrapped food and drinks out of the pantry and refrigerator.

"I'll go tell everyone!" Ichigo eagerly volunteered, willing to do almost anything to escape. She rushed into the café and called the Mews over to her. She refused to make eye contact with Lettuce as she explained what they were doing. As the others went to grab their stuff, Lettuce pulled her aside.

"I'm guessing you didn't say anything?" Ichigo just shrugged and gave her a small smile.

"We got interrupted." She said, quickly extracting herself from Lettuce's grip and following the other Mews to grab her bag. Lettuce sighed.

***A Few Hours Later***

The Mews were enchanted by the beautiful decorations at the reception, impressed even more by the beautiful bride. She seemed to float through the party, her white dress fitting her perfectly. She was sweet too, constantly thanking Ryou and the girls for coming on such short notice. Once the guests had been served their dinners, the girls were allowed to enjoy the party. They danced with each other, deciding not to intrude into the throng of guests on the dance floor. Luckily the reception was outside so there was plenty of room for the Mews to make sure they didn't get too involved with the wedding goers. Due to their segregation, they noticed the figures watching from atop the church roof, their ears sticking out like warning signs.

"Please tell me that's Kish, Pie and Tart skipping out on work." Mint groaned. The others immediately knew the aliens on the roof weren't quite that friendly.

"Sorry to disappoint." A voice spoke close to Ichigo's ear. She spun around to see Amon standing too close for comfort, the roof now vacant. "This party's a little boring and I never got around to talking to you about stealing my ship." He glared at them, producing a small parasite from his pocket. The creature floated through the air and made contact with its intended target. "Have fun!"

Amon disappeared and the bride transformed into a huge monster, sending the wedding guests screaming. A huge white humanoid remained, bearing the wings and stinger of a bee. Black antennae arched from her head, contrasting with her white fluffy body. She screeched and took to the air.

"Mew Ichigo!"

"Mew Mint!"

"Mew Pudding!"

"Mew Zakuro!"

"Mew Lettuce!"

"METAMORPHO-SIS!"

The Mews emerged from the light, fully transformed and battle ready, but before they could even strike, the Bee Bride buzzed angrily and flew down to them. Snatching Pudding in her insect grasp, she hovered over them triumphantly, just out of reach.

"Um did Pudding ever mention that she is terrified of bees?" The blonde stammered, her eyes wide and fearful.

"Don't worry Pudding, we'll get you!" Ichigo yelled, trying to figure out a way to rescue the youngest Mew. Guests were still running in terror across the abandoned reception venue and as one knocked into Ichigo the sweet smell of his drink gave her an idea. She ran to the beverage bar and started grabbing as many of the bottles of soda and tea as possible.

"Ichigo, I don't think now is a time for a drink." Mint complained, dodging another appendage of the bee.

"I know that Mint. I was thinking that the bee would be attracted to the sugar in the drinks and when it gets close enough we could grab Pudding and hit it with our attacks." She explained as she poured drinks. Lettuce and Mint ran to help her while Zakuro kept the insect occupied. Her whip wrapped around its body repeatedly, singeing its hair but leaving it otherwise unharmed. It buzzed in agitation and Zakuro threw herself to the ground to avoid its stinger. She knew she wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer. Pudding was turning green where she sat clasped in the bee's leg.

"Let's hope it works." Ichigo said, stepping back from the huge puddle of liquid. The bee buzzed curiously and lowered itself towards the drink. Mint stepped forward in anticipation, raising her bow. The bee's head snapped up and it let out a furious screech, throwing itself back into the air.

"It seems as though you require some assistance." A low voice spoke behind the group. They turned to see a man wielding a staff with a huge spiked metal ball attached to the end. As he assessed the situation, Ichigo gasped.

"You're the Dragon Warrior aren't you?" She asked, recognizing the stranger who had saved her life. His form seemed to flicker a little, the weapon in his hands temporarily turning into a pair of swords.

"I am glad to see you have recovered." He regained his form, the staff in his hand. "But now I must focus on Pudding." He leapt impossibly high, landing easily on the back of the insect. The bee buzzed angrily, flitting through the air in an attempt to shake him off. He calmly raised his staff and smashed the metal ball into the bee's head. It simply stopped flying and began to drop to the ground. Pudding let out a shriek, knowing that she would be crushed under the bug but suddenly found herself cradled in the Dragon Warrior's arms. He set her upright and turned to face his foe. The chimera was stunned and lay unmoving on the ground.

"Ichigo, finish it." He commanded and Ichigo summoned her Strawberry Bell.

"Ribbon Strawberry Surprise!" She yelled and a blast of light covered the insect. When the light faded , the beautiful bride lay in place of the deadly insect, clutching her head, but her dress was still perfect. The pale parasite floated away from her and was quickly swallowed by a gleeful Masha.

"Thank you for saving Pudding!" The blonde girl yelled at the Dragon Warrior, who was already walking away from the wreckage. He looked briefly over his shoulder, his form flickering once more, and then he was gone.

"No! What has happened here? My beautiful wedding is ruined!" The bride lifted herself off the ground and stared in horror at was supposed to be the best day of her life. Ryou helped her stand and brushed some debris off her dress as she started sobbing.

"Some trouble makers decided to crash. I assure you they will be taken care of." Ryou led the blubbering bride away and the Mews detransformed.

"First things first, who in the world is this Dragon Warrior and why does he keep showing up?" Mint asked, folding her arms across her chest. "I don't think we should trust him." The other Mews looked at her incredulously.

"Mint if he wanted us dead he wouldn't have rescued me or Pudding. Plus I think we've got a something a little more concerning. How did Amon know we would be here?" Ichigo asked, wiping drops of drink off her skirt. No one could answer her question so she decided to table it for later.

"Actually," Lettuce spoke up. "There is something a tad more pressing than that." She glared at the red haired girl. "Ichigo needs to go have a talk with someone." The other Mews looked confused but then Pudding happily clapped her hands.

"Is Ichigo finally going to tell Kisshy about her crush? Pudding promises to keep Taru-Taru from interrupting this time." The blonde danced around Ichigo, singing something about Ichigo and Kish being in a tree.

Ichigo knew she wasn't getting out of it so easily this time.

It was time for a talk with Kisshu.

**Not as much fluff as I thought it was gonna be. Soooo what'd ya think? Will Ichigo really tell Kish how she feels? How did the Invaders know about the wedding? And who is the Dragon Warrior? Review and tell me what you think!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Off The Deep End Chapter 22- The Fountain of Lovers**

**So this is basically another filler chapter but hopefully it will end up really fluffy. I honestly never know how these chapters are going to turn out because I start off with one idea and by the end it's completely changed. For example, there was only supposed to be one chapter where Ichigo was kidnapped instead of three. My mind is just really random and controlling like that. Anywho, thanks to everyone who had reviewed/favorited/followed! I mean sixty reviews!? I love you all! *Mwah* But none of you care about that, what you really care about is if Ichigo is really gonna tell Kish how she feels. Well read on and find out!**

The Cyniclons looked up from where they sat around one of the café table, surprised to see the Mews battle worn and covered in a sticky dark liquid.

"Is that blood? What happened?" Pie demanded rushing to Lettuce though his superior sense of smell should have already detected the sickly sweet smell. Café Mew Mew had closed over an hour ago and the aliens and Keiichiro had been waiting for the others to return, wondering what was talking them so long.

"It's soda and tea." Lettuce told them, causing the other aliens to look at each other in confusion. "Long story short, Amon and his friends decided to pay us a visit." The aliens clamored for the story but Lettuce declined. "Maybe Pudding would like to tell you what happened but I'm going to go get cleaned up."

"I'll tell them." Ichigo volunteered but Lettuce threw her a pointed look.

"I believe you have something else to do." The green Mew said sternly. She pointed from Ichigo to Kisshu to the kitchen. The red head grumbled, her heart pounding like she was about to fight a Chimera animal all by herself. She couldn't believe Lettuce was really going to make her do this. Kish shrugged and followed Lettuce and Ichigo into the kitchen. Before the door closed, they heard Pudding recounting the fight at the wedding.

"Pudding though she was done for but the Dragon Warrior guy jumped on the killer bee's back…" The door shut, cutting of Pudding's voice.

"The Lizard Man showed up again?" Kish asked, leaning against the counter, his voice tainted with something Ichigo couldn't place. Could it be jealousy? "What brave and daring thing did he do now?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Yes he did but that's not why you're here. You and Ichigo need to talk things out. Everyone knows that you two like each other, especially since Tart told everybody in the Café that you were making out." Lettuce stated, trying to control her agitation. She felt a little bad about forcing them to do this but she knew that she had felt the same way about Pie after the Strawberry Cake Incident and if he hadn't made the first move, their relationship probably would have never gone anywhere past Lettuce staring at his back as he took orders from customers.

"We didn't kiss!" Ichigo and Kish said at the same time.

"But you wanted to didn't you?" Lettuce asked. When they didn't respond, she rolled her eyes and began walking to the door. "I thought so." She left the kitchen, heading to the bathroom to attempt to get some of the sweet beverages out of her braids.

"Geez, dating Pie really made her assertive." Kish said, eyes wide and face red.

"That's exactly what I said." Ichigo groaned, wondering if she could sneak out of the kitchen. However, Ichigo knew Lettuce was almost always a step ahead of her and would probably be staking out all the exits in the café. The pair sat in silence for a few seconds, neither one knowing how to start. The alien finally cleared his throat, thinking he knew exactly why Ichigo needed to talk to him.

"Look, I'm sorry Taruto told everyone about me trying to kiss you." He took in a shaky breath. Ichigo opened her mouth to say something but he held up his hand to stop her. "Let me finish." He took a second to collect his thoughts and she saw his eyes gloss over with a steely determination. It was the look he wore before a battle.

"I'm sorry that I keep trying to force you to feel something for me. I promised I wouldn't let my feelings get in the way and I have. From now on, I will leave you alone. I have to quit deluding myself into thinking you like me. I shouldn't have tried to kiss you just because you were vulnerable like that. Its despicable…The old me would have done something like that." He stopped, his voice hitching in his throat. Ichigo felt her own throat tightening and tears stung her eyes, threatening to spill over. She hated herself for making him feel like this.

"Kisshu." She whispered, his name a soft promise on her lips. She leaned forward, gently pressing her lips to his. Warmth sparked in her lips, making her tingle down to the very tips of her hair. She pulled back, looking Kish in the eye. His eyes were wide, lips curled into a slight smile, opened just enough to let her know he was surprised. "I do like you. Very much actually." His small smile bloomed into a beaming grin, his eyes still wide with wonder. He cupped his hands gently around her face, pulling her back to him. This kiss was more passionate, and the warmth grew. It traveled through Ichigo's body, reaching every inch of her. It wasn't the burning, raging fire she used to feel with Masaya. It was something more permanent, like boiling magma rolling through her being, melding her to Kisshu. His fingers brushed her cheeks, knowing that this kiss was better than any of the ones he had stolen from her, because this time, she was kissing him back. He could feel her lips moving against his, her fingers tangled into his hair. He could hear the way her heart beat, fast and strong. He wanted to pinch himself to see if he was dreaming, but he knew his brain could never conjure up something this wonderful.

"Come on guys! That's where we make the food!" Tart's nasally voice interrupted them. Kish pulled away slightly, glaring past Ichigo.

"Taruto Ikisatashi, if you know what's good for you, you will teleport out of this kitchen right now." He growled, his fingers still cradling Ichigo's face softly. The cat Mew tried to disentangle herself from Kish's arms but he held her in place.

"As much as I would like to pretend I didn't see any of this, Pie has called a Mew Meeting and seeing as you two are basically the leaders of all of us, your presence is required." Tart snickered. Kish sighed and let go of Ichigo. He finally got to do something he'd been dreaming about for two years now and of course his brothers had to ruin it. Ichigo's face was scarlet as she pulled her hands out of the soft green hair, though she didn't regret anything. They stood up and Kish wrapped an arm around her waist, pinning her to his side.

"We'll continue our little talk later." He growled quietly in her ear. She laughed nervously, a little unsure how to act now that her feelings for him were in the open. They followed the youngest Ikisatashi back into the main portion of the café, seeing that all the Cyniclons besides Toge and the Ikisatashis had left. Mint was gone as well.

"The rebels are out on patrol, seeing as how Amon has decided to stir up trouble again. Mint said she had a dance recital." Toge answered when Ichigo asked where they had all gone. Ichigo was a little confused as to Mint's absence though and she pulled a slip of paper from her pocket. Mint had given it to her a couple days ago and she had tucked it in her uniform, almost forgotten until now. It was a flyer for Mint's summer recital.

Which wasn't until next week.

The Cyniclons and Keiichiro requested that the Mews tell the happenings of the wedding again, preferably not Pudding who had done a little embellishing to the story. Ichigo told them exactly what had occurred, from the minute they had spotted Amon on the roof until the Dragon Warrior had disappeared. The aliens asked many of the same questions she had asked the Mews.

"I don't like this Lizard Man. He seems a little sketchy to me." Kish muttered and this time Ichigo defiantly knew it was jealousy. Everyone but Ichigo and Pudding agreed.

"He saved Pudding and anyone who saves Pudding is a friend." She pouted. Ichigo nodded.

"If he had wanted to hurt us, all he had to do was let Amon kill me or Bride Bee (as they had taken to calling the Chimera) eat Pudding." Pudding didn't look too happy with that observation though she did voice her agreement. The others still looked uneasy, especially Kish and Tart.

"I could have helped you if I had been there." Tart muttered under his breath the same time Kish muttered "Stupid Lizard Man."

Ichigo decided to let the subject of their mystery hero drop and turned to something that was bothering her almost as much.

"I would like to know how Amon found out we were going to be at the wedding." She said, and the Cyniclons shrugged.

"We always knew where you girls would be. That's why we attacked there." Kish stated. Ichigo shook her head.

"But you guys always went to places we had been planning to go to for days. We found out about the wedding only a few minutes before we left. And with the teleportation shield up, Amon or one of his followers would have had to walk into the Café to hear us talking about it." The others pondered the question and Ichigo felt Kish tense up beside her. She looked over, his eyes were narrowed and his face was hard. "What is it?" She asked, not understanding why he looked so angry.

"I think we have a spy in our midst." He hissed and everyone looked at him with wide eyes. "Not necessarily here right now, but someone has been telling them our secrets. How else would they know when to attack or where? How else did they know Café Mew Mew was our base? One of us has been giving them information." Ichigo looked at the faces around her. They all had a look of grim acceptance, they didn't want to believe that one of their friends was selling them out to the enemy.

"I think that's enough for tonight. The Mews are tired and need to rest. Just because they're superhumans doesn't mean they don't need their beauty sleep. Especially you Ichigo." Ryou smirked as she gasped indignantly. He shrugged as she slapped him on the arm. "You're covered in soda and tea. You look like you rolled around in a pile of mud. Sorry if I'm not attracted to that." The other's snickered and Ichigo hissed at him. The meeting dispersed and Kish offered to teleport Ichigo home.

"Thanks but I need some time to think." She said. His ears drooped a little but he perked right back up when she planted a small kiss on his lips. "Goodnight Kisshu."

"Goodnight Koneko-chan."

***A Few Minutes Later***

Instead of going straight home, Ichigo had walked further into the park to a place she went whenever she was having trouble with her emotions. It was a fairly secluded space, surrounded by trees that hid her from the rest of the park. Ichigo figured it was built to be much like the other places in the park with fountains but strangely, this fountain had never been turned on. Ichigo sat on the rim of the empty fountain, rubbing her fingers over the name etched into the concrete. "The Fountain of Lovers" it was called and atop the circular concrete pool stood two people, a boy and girl, grasping hands. Their stone faces had been weathered to where they were almost unrecognizable as human but they still seemed to calm Ichigo. As she perched there, she thought of how rapidly everything had changed. A few months ago she had given her life to save Masaya, a boy she thought she would be with forever. Now Masaya was gone and she was quickly realizing that she could learn to love again. Kish was almost the complete opposite of Masaya. He was sarcastic and cool, he didn't often show when something hurt him. Yet, in a way, he was able to get closer to Ichigo than Masaya ever had. He understood her and her feelings, understood that she didn't need to be coddled and protected like a small child. He understood her need for both independence and someone to depend on. He was like a perfect balance of everything Ichigo needed. She thought of Masaya, light years away on another planet. She couldn't help herself, a feeling of hatred bubbled in the pit of her stomach. She hated that he had been too weak to drive out Deep Blue the first time, hated that he was too weak to resist Deep Blue this time. _ He did kill him though. And doing so killed himself. That was anything but weak._ She thought to herself, the hatred ebbing away.

A noise sounded from under the trees and Ichigo froze, listening intently for its cause. She heard a familiar giggle and relaxed. She didn't understand why Mint was hiding in the trees but she was about to find out. Prowling quietly to the foliage, she almost gasped out loud as she heard a deeper laugh echo Mint's. _So this is where Mint went off to. I knew there was no recital tonight!_ Ichigo thought, curiosity getting the better of her as she slowly inched forwards. _Why would she keep her boyfriend a secret?_

As she pushed silently past a bush she knew why. Mint was floating in the air, a pair of strong but wiry arms wrapped around her waist. The couple twirled in the night air and Ichigo did let out a startled gasp as she caught sight of the boy's face.

It was Fell.

**Whaaaat? Weren't expecting that were you? Please review/follow/favorite and let me know what you think about this shocking revelation!**

**P.s. I just finished the City of Bones and can I just say WHAT THE FREAKING HECK? I AM NOT OKAY WITH THEM BEING RELATED NO SIREE. I AM NOT A HAPPY CAMPER**


	24. Chapter 24

**Off The Deep End Chapter 23- Shock**

**Just a warning, I'm hoping to finish this up by Chapter 30 (chapter 31 in the links) and then an epilogue. Then I will post this story as complete and after I return from my trip I will start a new story that will pick up where this one ends. I haven't decided on a name for the new story (Though the whole thing will be called the Deep End Series) so if you want to pm me a name I just might choose it. On with the story! Is Mint really the spy? Or is something else going on here? I do not own TMM**

Ichigo felt a hand slap over her mouth and she let out a muffled scream. It pulled her back into the bushes and she attempted to bite it.

"Stop it!" A voice hissed in her ear and she instantly relaxed. Kisshu let go of her mouth, knowing now she wasn't going to scream. Ichigo pointed frantically at the couple in the trees and Kish nodded grimly. He leaned down, his lips pressing against her ear.

"I followed you to make sure you got home alright. I saw them just before you did. You're lucky they're so wrapped up in each other or they would have heard you." He whispered. Ichigo looked up at the couple, embraced in each others' arms.

"I can't believe Mint would do this!" She hissed back, trying to figure out how this had even started. Kish shook his head and raised a finger to his lips, signaling for her to be silent. He inched forward, his body making no noise as he slid over the ground. Poking his head through the foliage, he peeked up at the pair, trying to get a good look at their faces. He pulled back and grabbed Ichigo's waist. Ichigo blinked and everything went black.

A few seconds later they were standing in the middle of Ichigo's room. The sweet scent of strawberries greeted them, and Ichigo blushed as she realized where they were. Shaking her head, she knew they had more important things to think about.

"He must be hypnotizing her. There's no way Mint would betray us!" The red head exclaimed, enraged by the scene in the park. Kish hushed her and reminded her that her parents were only a few rooms away.

"That's what I thought as well, but then I saw their eyes." Kish noticed Ichigo's confused look so he explained himself. "I was in the same combat classes as Fell back home. Though he was supposed to train without using his powers, he usually hypnotized his opponents. I know what it looks like when he hypnotizes someone. His eyes turn black and the eyes of the one being hypnotized turn white. Both Fell and Mint had their normal eye colors."

"So what Mint's doing," Ichigo breathed in a mixture of anger and hurt, "she's doing willingly."

***The Next Day At Café Mew Mew***

Ichigo had successfully avoided Mint all day, though she didn't manage to be subtle about it. By the end of the work day, Mint was annoyed and the rest of the workers were worried there was going to be a cat fight. Kish pulled Ichigo aside, warning her against telling the rest about what they had seen last night.

"I think you should try to talk to her before telling everyone. Get her side of the story." He urged, being uncharacteristically tactful. The cat Mew directed her anger towards him.

"Why? How do I know she won't just lie to me?" Her eyes filled with angry tears and Kish pulled her against his chest. He was a little confused as to why she was so unreasonable about it. After all, wasn't he once the enemy?

"Ichigo, sometimes we find love in places we don't expect." His golden eyes burned into hers and she felt her anger melt away. The red head nodded.

"I'm sorry, you're right. I'll try to talk to her about it." She kissed him lightly and left to find Mint. Kish wasn't sure if Mint was the spy or not, and if she was then she deserved all of Ichigo's anger, but he also knew that being in love caused you to do a lot of crazy things. How could he judge someone on falling in love with the wrong person when he had done the exact same thing? He sighed, love was confusing.

Ichigo found Mint alone in the kitchen and shut the door behind her. The blue Mew looked up, a flicker of worry crossing her face before being replaced by the superior façade she always wore.

"Are you finally going to tell me what your problem is?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Anger rose up in Ichigo's chest again at the question. _How dare she act like I'm the one doing something wrong!_ She thought to herself before remembering what Kish said. She pusher her rage down and took a deep breath.

"I saw you last night." She said and Mint's eyes widened. The girl composed herself before speaking.

"I saw you as well, we were both here after the wedding."She stated, and Ichigo bristled at her smart tone. Mint was defiantly not making it easy for Ichigo to be reasonable. "If that's all you wanted to say then I will be on my way." Ichigo moved to block the door, an impassive look on her face.

"Do I really need to spell it out? I saw you in the park last night Mint. I saw you with Fell, the invader. I saw you giggling and carrying on with our _enemy._" Ichigo emphasized the word. Mint stared at her for a bit, looking cold instead of remorseful.

"Yeah, I was with Fell. You know why? Because I love him. What's wrong with that?" The bird Mew asked, her face mirroring Ichigo's. Ichigo looked at her incredulously, trying to calm herself.

"Mint, he's our enemy. That's what's wrong!" Mint glared at her. Getting closer to her leader, she hissed in her face.

"Do not talk to me about falling in love with the enemy. Don't you remember that Kisshu, Pie and Tart tried to take over earth?" Ichigo reeled back in anger, her eyes burning with passion.

"Mint they all died to save us! Will Fell do that for you?" She yelled, Kish's words echoing somewhere in the back of her mind. She ignored them, knowing it was too late to be tactful.

"Of course he will." Mint said, her eyes steely and reproachful.

"Before or after he tells Amon where to come attack us?"

Mint gasped, her face red with anger at the accusation. "He's not the one who told Amon where we were." Ichigo rolled her eyes, throwing her hands in the air.

"Sorry if I can't just believe that." Ichigo said mockingly. "Who else would rat us out?" Mint's furious reply was cut off by a voice coming from behind them.

"That would be me."

Ichigo felt a hand squeeze into the skin at her shoulder and fell to the ground, paralyzed. Her eyes wide in fear and anger, she watched as Mint went down as well. Their eyes met, though neither was able to form any words. Ichigo felt her arm being lifted and saw him grab Mint's arm as well. She knew exactly what was going to happen. The teleportation shield had been placed against anyone teleporting in from outside. It didn't stop people from teleporting from within. The chi-blocker looked a bit remorseful as he closed his eyes and concentrated on his desired destination. Kish walked in just as Gaunt, Mint and Ichigo disappeared.

***The Meeting Ship Of The Invader Fleet***

The ship that used to serve as a meeting space for the invaders now served as both a prison and a dormitory. The ship that had been taken by the released prisoners had held both the prisons and the rooms where the invading aliens slept. Amon sat in one of the rooms and grinned sardonically when a knock sounded at his door.

"Come in Fell." He called, watching the dark haired alien open the door. Fell kept his face carefully neutral, knowing he wasn't called to the leader's room for a nice chat about the weather. He waited for Amon to speak, but the lead invader just looked him over. A few seconds later, he finally spoke, his voice cold with contempt.

"Did you really think you could keep this a secret from me?" He asked, his face expressionless. Fell shrugged, pretending to be confused.

"Keep what a secret?" Amon's eyes lit with a slight fury and an evil amusement.

"Your little fling with the bird Mew." Amon waited for his response.

Fell shrugged. "It was just that. A fling." At his answer the leader laughed, his voice ringing through the room.

"Poor thing. She thinks you love her. Are you going to break the news to her or should I?" He said with mock sympathy. Fell's eyes widened and he quickly attempted to regain his composure, but it was too late. "You could have been a hero Fell. You could have helped me conquer this pitiful little planet for Deep Blue and then we would have both been regarded as royalty." Amon shook his head. "But you threw all of that away for a girl. A human no less." The invader didn't understand what the fuss was about them. Most of the humans were pathetic and plain, with no wonderful powers or skills. Few were like the Mews, who were at least somewhat interesting and a small challenge to fight. But even Ichigo, with her fiery attitude and quick wit, bored Amon. He would never allow himself to fall for one of them. Cyniclons were a superior race and mixing was just unacceptable.

"This planet is not ours for the taking Amon. Deep Blue was wrong and so are you." Fell spat, his eyes sparking with pride at the thought of how much his little bird would fight to protect her home. "They will fight you to the end. And so will I."

Amon chuckled; amused by the fact that Fell would try to resist him here in the middle of his own fleet of ships. He saw the boy's eyes turn black and before he could be persuaded to do anything, Amon reached out a finger and sent an electric shock through his body. Fell slumped to the floor, his limp body sprawling out. It was a little trick Amon had developed while being here, after watching the humans' use of electricity. Ichigo had felt its effects, though she probably didn't remember most of that. He remembered her screams as he sent shock after shock through her body, though she was mostly unconscious after the first one. He knew that his little secret would be the turning point in the fight, and as he watched the electric current run in blue streaks up his hands, he smiled.

**So Ichigo's been kidnapped once again. Sorry about that. She's just very fun to kidnap. I feel a little bad about turning Gaunt evil but it had to be someone nobody expected and Gaunt hasn't really been mentioned a lot in the chapters. Something tells me he wasn't alone though. Who could have been his accomplice? Tell me you thoughts! **

**Happy Memorial Day! (Tomorrow) please review/follow/favorite!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Of The Deep End Chapter 24- After Shock**

**My Sister's Keeper is both an amazing movie and a seriously depressing one. I just watched it for the first time and was either smiling or in tears the whole time. Any whoo, Ichigo and Mint have been kidnapped, Fell was zapped by Amon's new super power and we found out Gaunt was the spy. What's gonna happen next?**

Kisshu was frantic , wondering what horrors his koneko-chan would be facing now. He had informed the others of what he had seen and they all knew the girls would be on one of the invasion ships. Lot wasn't in much better shape than Kish, though he was overwhelmed by anger and denial rather than fear and sadness.

"I can't believe Gaunt would do this. No, he _wouldn't_ do this! He's my brother!" The water boy's voice was raised. No one argued with him, all of them hoping Gaunt had somehow been forced to betray them. Kish and the Mews wanted to rescue Ichigo and Mint right away, but the others convinced them that they wouldn't have the element of surprise this time. The invaders knew that the rebels would be coming to save the girls. The rebels would have to plan this time and if last time was any indication, there would be a fight. Each of the aliens and Mews were preparing for battle, and Kish vowed that he would rescue Ichigo no matter what.

***The Meeting Ship***

Ichigo and Mint had finally regained control over their bodies. Ichigo pushed herself off the floor and looked around the room. It was nowhere as hospitable as the one on the prison ship. There was no furniture and the walls were an unwelcoming gray. Mint groaned and rubbed her sore muscles. She glared at the red head.

"Well I guess we know it wasn't Fell." She sniffed, and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm sorry I accused him but can you really blame me?" Ichigo watched as Mint shrugged and didn't reply. "Any way I think we have a bigger problem than your hurt feelings." She stood up and walked to the door. She tugged on the handle but unlike last time, it was locked. She searched the other parts of the room, only to find that the door was the only way out of the room. She pressed her ear to the door and heard the sound of feet. Scrambling back from the door, Ichigo retreated to where Mint still sat on the floor.

"Someone's coming." She warned her as a clicking sound came from the door. It swung open to reveal two unfamiliar aliens who bore a limp body in between them. They tossed the body into the room, not bothering to make sure it landed softly.

"Fell!" Mint yelled and threw herself across the room to him. The door slammed shut. Fell's unconscious body was beaten and bruised and Mint's tears washed blood from his face. Ichigo placed her fingers on his wrist.

"Mint. Calm down, he's alive." She said when she felt a faint pulse. Mint's sobbing subsided but she still frantically tried to rouse him. He coughed once before his eyes fluttered open.

"Mint?" He questioned, his voice weak.

"It's me Fell, I'm here." She cooed, Ichigo had never heard her voice so soft and full of love.

"But why? Why are you here?" He attempted to push himself into a seated position, grimacing as a bolt of pain shot through his head. Mint tried to push him back down but he shook his head. "Cyniclons heal fast if it's not too bad of an injury."

"Gaunt chi blocked us and teleported us here. We've been in this room ever since." Ichigo explained and Fell nodded grimly.

"I should have known he was the spy." Ichigo and Mint looked at the alien in surprise.

"Didn't you know?" The blue Mew asked. Fell shook his head.

"Don't you think I would have warned you? No, only Amon knew who the spy was, though I'm sure that's not the case anymore." He lifted his arm and Ichigo saw that the bruises were already starting to recede.

"What are they going to do to us?" Mint asked, her voice small as she snuggled into his side. The Cyniclon wrapped his arm around her and kissed her hair.

"I don't know Mint."

***Café Mew Mew***

Lilac stood in the kitchen quietly, watching as Lettuce cut into a large cake. The Mew hadn't heard the alien girl enter, and she didn't acknowledge her as the alien approached her. Lilac skimmed her mind, looking for any sign that Lettuce knew she was there. The alien raised her arm, her hand gripping a cloth soaked in chloroform.

"I would not do that if I were you." A large hand tightened around her wrist, causing her to drop the rag. Lettuce shrieked, turning to find not one but two people standing behind her. The Dragon Warrior held a large, sharp looking fan to Lilac's throat as she whimpered. He pressed his arm into her neck for a few seconds before she went unconscious. The Dragon Warrior let her limp body slide to the floor. Lettuce took a step towards her but he put his hand up.

"Gaunt was not the only spy." Lettuce's eyes widened in surprise. The Dragon Warrior nodded and disappeared.

"Pie! Tart! Kish!" She yelled and the two younger Ikisatashis ran into the kitchen.

"Pie's up in his room. What happened?" Kish stared in shock at Lilac's body. Lettuce explained the situation to him and he shook his head.

"Loki's not gonna like this." He mumbled and went to retrieve Lilac's brother.

***The Meeting Ship***

"This isn't as nice as the cell they kept me in last time." Ichigo complained. Being locked in a room for who knows how long without anything to do was not having a good effect on her mood. Fell let out a little laugh.

"After you let the prisoners take our prison ship we had to improvise. This used to be one of our conference rooms." He pointed out where the table and screen used to be. "We always met in here before an attack and this is where Amon talks to Deep Blue." Ichigo felt a shiver run up her spine at the mention of Masaya's true form.

"What made you turn against him? Deep Blue I mean." She asked quietly and Mint looked curiously up at Fell. The dark haired boy cleared his throat and shrugged.

"Mint did. She told me what had really happened with Deep Blue. After Deep Blue returned, the Elders told us that Kisshu had killed him and that Kisshu was now a traitor. We were all told that Kisshu had wanted to rule our planet and that's why he killed Deep Blue and returned with the Mew Aqua." He remembered the Elders standing on the ledge above the city square, telling them all of the treachery committed by the Ikisatashis. He remembered raiding their house, only to find their tightlipped parents.

"But Deep Blue didn't want to help your planet. He only wanted Earth." Ichigo said, bristling a little at the lies told about Kish.

"I know that now and I think Amon does too."

"Then why doesn't he call off this whole thing and tell the Elders?" Mint asked. Fell shook his head.

"Amon always looked up to Deep Blue. He wanted to be like him even back in primary school. I think Amon would do anything Deep Blue asked of him, no matter who it hurt. And somehow I don't think the Elders would listen. I believe they know exactly what Deep Blue's intentions were." Fell sighed, wondering how his society had gotten all screwed up. When the Ikisatashis had returned with the Mew Aqua, everyone had hailed them as heroes. They had all celebrated together when the continuous winter stopped and the first plants began to grow. Side by side, they had built cities above ground and watched proudly as their people emerged from the caves. Then Kisshu had left and the Elders had began spreading rumors through citizens that he had been ambitious all along. Foolishly, Fell had believed it. When the Elders demanded that Cyniclons step up to go, take Earth and destroy the Ikisatashis and their Mew friends, Fell had eagerly signed up.

"I'm an idiot." He dropped his head. Mint slid her hand under his chin, forcing him to look at her.

"You fought for what you believed in. Now, you have admitted you were wrong and are going to fight for what is right. There is nothing idiotic about that." She pressed her lips to his lightly and Ichigo turned to give them some space.

A few minutes later, the door swung open again, and Amon smiled at them.

***Café Mew Mew***

At first Loki had accused Lettuce of lying. Then, with some encouragement from Semoka, he calmed down and apologized. Only after they were sure he wouldn't free her was Loki allowed to talk to Lilac. He asked for Semoka to accompany him, knowing she was the only one who could dissuade his temper. His sister was tied to a chair, her head thrown back in boredom. She didn't look up they entered the room.

"I already know what you're going to say and no, I don't regret it. Kisshu is a traitor who killed Deep Blue and is trying to take over our planet. You're too blind to see that but I am not. I will not fight for someone who has lied to us and I will not fight for a brother who is too dim to realize the truth."

Loki's face reddened in anger and only the soothing touch of Semoka's hand on his arm kept him from striking out at his sister. He opened his mouth but Lilac cut him off.

"Yes I trust Amon over Kisshu and yes I have been helping Gaunt spy on you all. And Semoka, you may have trusted me but that only shows how stupid you are. You don't trust anyone in a time of war."

Semoka smiled slightly and shook her head. "You are wrong Lilac. You can always trust those you love." She looked gently up at Loki and heard Lilac snicker.

"What's the point of love? By the end of the week both of you will be dead anyway and the Earth will belong to the Cyniclons."

***The Meeting Ship***

"I'm glad to see you have all made friends." Amon said mockingly, walking further into the room. He brushed his fingers along Ichigo's face and she felt a tingle of electricity that had nothing to do with her feelings for him. Hissing, she jerked her body away from his touch.

"Aww don't be like that Kitty. Don't you remember how shocking our last encounter was?" He asked, emphasizing the word shocking. Ichigo's eyes widened as she remembered what had knocked her out during her torture and stared at his hands in horror.

"That's right. A simple touch from me will send Kisshu to the floor. That is, if I'm being gentle." He chuckled and patted Ichigo's head.

"But for now I've got something more interesting to watch." He turned to look at Fell and Mint. Fell scooted so that he was in front of the bird Mew, his body shielding hers.

"I think it's time we had a little fun."

***Café Mew Mew***

Semoka and Loki ran to find Kish, the terrible truth of what Lilac had told them fresh in their minds. Kish was sitting at the Café counter, praying to whoever would listen for Ichigo's safe return. He looked up, startled, as they nearly knocked into him. The pair caught their breath and began to tell Kisshu what Amon's plan was. The green haired alien's eyes filled with horror and fear. He threw his head back and let out a heart wrenching wail.

***The Meeting Ship***

Ichigo was handcuffed and stood in-between two guards as she watched Fell and Mint in the middle of the circle. Amon floated over them, his face bright with triumph and glee.

"Now, you're going to fight each other and whoever wing gets to become a part of my master plan. They will get to taste the new era of power." He crowed, his voice half crazed. The couple looked at each other in agony, not wanting to hurt the other but also not wanting them to be Amon's pawn.

"Did I mention it was a fight to the death?" He laughed from his place above the two prisoners. Fell looked at Mint whose wings had sprouted from her back in fear.

"Mint, I don't want to kill you but being a part of Amon's plan is a fate worse than death." Mint's face showed that she had been thinking the same thing.

"I won't let you sacrifice yourself for me Fell. I will kill you and let you die with your honor and dignity before I see you fall into Amon's hands." The bird Mew vowed, pulling her pendant from her pocket. She kissed it lightly and was enveloped in a blue light. She emerged, completely transformed and holding her bow and arrow. Ichigo watched in mute horror as the couple prowled around each other. She understood why they vowed to kill each other and was instantly grateful that she didn't have to make that decision about Kish. However, without Kish here, she was already condemned to the fate deemed worse than death.

As she watched the pair clash, she didn't know who she pitied more, herself or them.

**Aaaand a cliffie! I warned you Gaunt wasn't the only traitor. So what did you think about this chapter? Who is the Dragon Warrior? What is Amon's master plan? Who will win the fight? Review/follow/favorite to find out!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Off The Deep End Chapter 25- A New Transformation**

**Wish me luck! I've got major testing the rest of this week and next week as I wrap up the year! We've got about five more chapters of OTDE and the epilogue until I break for summer and when I get back from my trip I will start posting the second installment (which remains unnamed so far so if you'd like to help me out with that…) Hopefully the ending of the first "book" per say is awesome and makes you want to read the sequel! But for now, we've got Mint and Fell fighting to the death, Lilac and Gaunt have been bad, The Dragon Warrior returned, Ichigo's kidnapped and Amon's master plan is horrible! Find out what happens!**

Mint and Fell moved around each other in a graceful deadly dance. They were truly a perfect match; each movement of Mint's perfectly echoed by Fell. Each strike was blocked and each blow was parried. Fell would move forward and Mint would glide effortlessly away again, each constantly keeping a safe distance from the other. Fell would not stay still for Mint to aim her bow and Mint refused to look Fell in the eyes, making it impossible for him to hypnotize her. The bird Mew and the Cyniclon were quickly tiring and half an hour had gone by without any progress. Amon looked thoroughly bored and most of the invaders were staring off into space. Finally he stepped between the two, coming tauntingly close to Fell's sword.

"Fine fine, if you insist, you can both be a part of my plot." He smirked, signaling to the guards to return them to their prison. Mint and Fell stared at each other in shock, each hating themselves for condemning the other to Amon's plan. The three prisoners were taken to the old meeting room and the door closed behind them with a resounding click.

"I am sorry Mint. I have failed you." Fell said quietly, his head down in shame. Mint reached softly underneath his chin and pulled him up.

"Fell you didn't fail. You fought hard but we are too well matched. I don't want to die Fell, and I don't want to kill you." Mint did not want to be a part of Amon's plan, neither did she want Fell to be, but she was proud that they had foiled his amusement. Amon would not get the satisfaction of seeing them kill each other.

"What does he have planned Fell?" Ichigo asked, knowing the once invader must have some insight. Fell shook his head desperately and looked at Mint with wide dark eyes.

"I do not want to tell you. It is too horrible." He whispered, not wanting to imagine his Mint in Amon's hands. Mint sighed and took his hand in hers.

"We can handle it Fell. We must be prepared for whatever Amon has coming for us." She said, making her voice sound strong though she was absolutely terrified. Ichigo and Mint listened in mute horror as Fell described Amon's plan.

***Café Mew Mew***

As Loki and Semoka finished telling Kisshu what Amon had planned for his Koneko-chan, he jumped up from the table, disgusted and enraged.

"I will not let him do that to Ichigo. We must rescue them before that happens." He demanded, pacing through the café and trying to think of a plan. Nothing came to him.

"What if we split up? Some kind of ambush?" Semoka suggested and the boys turned to look at her curiously.

"Go on." Kish urged and she blushed. She hesitated but an encouraging smile from Loki warmed her.

"Well, we can track the Mews' pendants so we can figure out which ship they're in. Then we split into two groups and one goes straight through the front door while the other goes through the roof hatch." She explained, using gestures to help show her idea. Kish stopped.

"What roof hatch?" His question brought on Semoka's blush again.

"Well, I…discovered….that all long term ships have a roof hatch in case of an emergency. Please don't ask why I was on the roof of a ship. It's a long story." She stammered and Loki had to restrain himself from asking anyway.  
"Let's call a Mew Meeting and then we can talk about your plan." Kish said, teleporting upstairs to retrieve the rest.

A few minutes later all of the aliens and the remaining Mews sat around a table in the café. No one remembered the table but it held a lot of memories. A lot of bad memories. Mint once remarked that they needed to stop sitting at this table because every time they did, something bad happened. But no one remembered this as Kish began to explain Semoka's ambush idea.

***The Meeting Ship***

Ichigo had drifted into an uneasy slumber, the cold hard floor not making sleep easy to come by. Mint mumbled something in her sleep and rolled into Fell's chest, who was propped up on his elbows and listening to the movement outside the door. He considered waking the Mews but knew that it wouldn't help either way. The door flung open, slamming into the wall and causing the girls to wake. They jumped up, pendants grasped in hand ready to transform, though they knew it would do them no good.

"Good morning kitty." He smirked, his eyes roaming over the disheveled appearances of his prisoners. He had something big planned for them, something that would go down in human and Cyniclon history.

"Don't call me that." She hissed at him. He chuckled and waved the guards forward. Ichigo braced herself but they marched past her, grabbing Mint instead.

"Mint!" Fell yelled, gripping her hand as the guards pulled her away. One reared back with his boot, kicking Fell's face. The alien stumbled back, gripping his nose as blood began to trickle from it. Mint screamed but was shoved outside and the door locked before Fell could make another grab for her.

"No!" He screamed at the door. "No please don't do this to her!" His fists pounded uselessly on the door, scraping his skin. Sobbing, he sunk to the floor. He knew exactly what was about to happen to his lovely little bird. He knew, because he had created it.

***Somewhere in the meeting ship***

Mint spat profanities as her body was strapped down and her pendant ripped from her grasp. Amon smiled sardonically down at her and gestured for his servants. They wheeled the cot out through the entrance ramp of the ship, and Amon followed behind, laughing at Mint's curses.

"Beg me." He said slowly. "Beg me and I will let you go." The blue Mew's eyes widened, filling with hate and anger. She bristled at the very thought of asking anything of this monster much less begging for it.

"Never." She growled, giving him a glare. "I would never beg you for anything. You are nothing but an evil monster who…." Amon stopped her by placing a finger gently to her lips. He removed his finger before Mint could think to bite it.

"Well then let us begin." He grinned and pulled something out of his pocket. It was round and small, it squiggled contentedly in his hand. As he approached her with it, Mint seethed with anger and horror. She watched as Amon extended his hand to her skin, placing the creature onto her. The parasite flashed and disappeared. A light appeared under the girl's skin and traced its way up to her chest. When it reached the middle, right where Mint's heart was, a fire erupted in her body, making her scream in agony.

***Café Mew Mew about 30 minutes later***

Though most agreed that entrance through the roof hatch was a good idea, no one was too keen on sacrificing themselves by going through the front.

"They will see us coming and the first people through the front will be killed immediately!" Maya argued, knowing that even though she excelled in hand combat, sometimes stealth and sneakiness was the way to go. The others argued, everyone except Loki. Before the meeting had begun, he had gone down to visit his sister. As he attempted to talk to her, he had realized just how fragile her mind was. The mixture of always hearing others' thoughts and whatever brain washing or corruption Amon had used on her had screwed her up. She was hysterical, spitting and saying that Loki would be dead within the week and she would laugh as birds ate his body. It disturbed him, as rightly it should, but it also gave him a weird sense of comfort. Knowing his sister wasn't in her right mind when she betrayed him made it a little easier to live with.

Lot, however, was having no such luck. He was furious with his little brother for turning on them and was not yet sure if he would be able to kill him. The boy floated his water out of his glass making it dance in a confusing circle as he listened to how they planned to break in. He looked up and the water splashed down on the table.

"Pudding is wet now!" The blonde complained, but Lot didn't notice. He stared in shock out the window as he saw the huge creature descend upon them.

It crashed through the wall with an angry screech that had the aliens clutching their sensitive ears. The three Mews grabbed their pendants.

"Mew Zakuro!"

"Mew Lettuce!"

"Mew Pudding!"

"METAMORPHO-SIS!"

They emerged from the lights, transformed and ready to fight. They each raised their weapons but stopped in a terrifying dread as they recognized the original shape of the chimera.

It was a blue lorikeet.

**Sorry for another cliffie but I need the fight scene to wait until next chapter. Can I just say that I think Loki and Semoka are a really cute couple but maybe that's just me cause I see Loki as that really big and buff guy but he's all shy and adorable around Semoka. Any whoo, please pm me names for the second installment of OTDE (it will all be referred to as the OTDE series). Please review/follow/favorite and tell me what you think!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Off The Deep End Chapter 26- In Fighting**

**Hiiiii! So I really like these last few chapters because they're all really dramatic and there's a lot of action and asdsladkaso I can't tell you cause that will ruin it. Once again thank you to everyone who has followed this story (if I can say so without sounding full of myself I feel like my writing has gotten a lot better) and reviewed and followed and favorited. Anyway, let's see about this chimera business!**

The bird screeched and flapped its heavy wings, sending shudders through the building. The Mews stood ready, though they looked a little sickened by the fact they were fighting Mint's animal. Kisshu, Semoka and Loki swapped horrified looks, knowing what this meant. The green haired Cyniclon decided he needed to warn the others.

"We can't hurt it." He yelled over the squawks of the angry chimera. Pudding jumped out of the way as the bird's giant foot snapped the table she had been standing on.

"What do you mean don't hurt it? Are we supposed to just lie down and let it stomp us?" Lettuce shouted as Pudding crashed into her. The blue creature turned, its beady eyes fixed on the green Mew. It scuttled forward, not able to use its wings very much in the tight space. It barely missed Lettuce as it pecked down with its hard black beak, putting a huge hole in the floor.

"Amon…" Kish broke off as he dodged a flailing wing. "Turned Mint into the chimera." He gasped as he knocked into Pie.

"So? You guys used to make them all the time, we defeat the chimera and Mint goes back to normal and Masha eats the parasite." Zakuro said from where she stood on the other side of the bird. It turned, following the voice and causing the purple haired girl to lunge out of the way.

"It's different though." The bird turned back to Kish. "This time if you hurt the chimera, you hurt Mint." The Mews looked at him in despair. How could they defeat the chimera and get Mint back without hurting it? Kish suddenly remembered something from his chimera classes back home. He had forgotten it due to the fact he had never had to use it. It was a technique, a way of splitting the host and the parasite without having to fight it. You just had to find its weak spot.

"Should we lead it outside?" Lettuce yelled and rushed around the side of the bird while it tried to turn to face her. Kisshu shook his head.

"No, I've got an idea but I can't have the bird moving around a lot. What's Mint's weakness?" He asked, jumping to avoid the stabbing beak. Maya stood on the opposite side and saw that Kish was trying to form a plan. She yelled loudly and the chimera whipped around to glare at her. It screeched and Maya's hands flew to her sensitive ears, cradling them in pain. Seeing an opportunity, the lorikeet struck out with its wing. The wing smashed into Maya and sent her flying through the café. Her body thudded against the back wall and slumped to the floor.

"Maya!" Riff yelled, teleporting across the room. He scooped her body up into his arms and teleported her downstairs to where Ryou and Keiichiro were hiding.

"How's it going up there?" the blonde asked, then seeing Maya he readied the cot. Riff laid her gently down and watched worriedly as Keiichiro hooked an IV to her arm.

"Not good. The bird can't move much in the small space but neither can we. Kish doesn't want us to hurt the chimera cause that will hurt Mint. He needs to figure out her weak spot so he can deactivate the parasite." Riff barely remembered that lesson in chimera class. Ryou blushed a bit and ducked his head.

"I may know where that is." Riff didn't question, just grabbed Ryou's wrist and teleported him upstairs.

"Kish!" Riff shouted at the Cyniclon. The bird tuned in Riff's direction but he gripped Ryou again and teleported to Kish's side, sending the chimera crashing into the counter. "Ryou knows the weak spot."

Ryou blushed again and Kisshu gave him a weird look but knew they had a bigger problem than how Ryou knew about Mint's weak spot.

"It's the back of her neck." He mumbled, still embarrassed. Kish nodded and said something to Riff that was inaudible over the sound of the bird. Riff gave him a sharp nod and teleported in front of the bird.

"Hey bird brain! Down here!" He shouted and the blue bird to dip its head and peck at him with its beak. A green head appeared on the back of the chimera and slowly made its way towards the neck of the animal. Riff attempted to keep the birds attention without getting pecked or scratched. It was difficult, seeing as he kept having to back up and there were piles of chairs and broken tables scattered across the café.

Kish made his way carefully over the back of the bird, keeping a firm handhold of its feathers. He reached the back of its neck.

Riff tripped and toppled down onto his back. The bird loomed over him, its beady eyes bright with triumph. The alien froze in fear as its pointed beak flashed through the air towards his chest.

He grunted as a very limp Mint landed on top of him, squishing the air out of him. A cheer went up from the Cyniclons and humans as they realized the battle was over. Ryou helped to lift the unconscious Mew off of Riff and carried her downstairs, placing her in a cot next to Maya. As he returned upstairs he was confronted by a very curious alien.

"So how exactly do you know where Mint's weak spot is?" Kish snickered. Ryou blushed again but rolled his eyes.

"Get over it. It was a while ago and it didn't work out." He pushed past the Cyniclon and went to check on the two unconscious girls in the basement.*

***The Meeting Ship***

Amon looked proudly at the screen, watching as Ichigo tried to calm Fell down in their cell. He knew that taking Mint first would cause Fell to fall apart. It was entertaining to watch.

"Sir, are you ready for the next one?" A guard asked as he slid the door to the viewing room open slightly. Amon shook his head and grinned.

"No, watching their terror is too much fun right now. We'll do the next transformation later." He chuckled and turned back to the screen.

Fell paced around the small room, praying that Mint was okay. What if the rebels didn't know she was really in the chimera and killed her? What if they…Ichigo's voice broke into his thoughts.

"You're wearing a trench into the concrete." She said lightly, knowing he was worrying over Mint. Their worry would do her no good now; they could only hope that the others knew what was happening. Fell glared at her and resumed his pacing.

"What is the chimera designed to do?" She asked him, knowing that since he created it he should know everything about it. Fell looked ashamed and refused to meet Ichigo's eyes.

"It's very painful, when it fuses with the body. Then, and I know this from experience as I had to test my creation, it basically feels like you're disconnected from your body. You can sense that your body is fighting but you can't actually feel anything. You have no control over what happens or what you do." He took a breath to steady himself. "But since your body is a part of the chimera, if the chimera is hurt, you're hurt. And with the power of Mew attacks…" He cut off with a shudder, knowing Mint couldn't survive that type of physical abuse. Ichigo rose and grabbed his arm, pulling him in for a comforting hug.

"Don't worry. Kish is smart; he'll have figured it out. Mint is probably safe and human again." She reassured him. He nodded and leaned against the wall, allowing his body to slide to the floor.

"You know, if I die, at least I tried to make everything right. At least I died fighting for the girl I love." He sighed, his eyes clouding over as he thought of his beautiful bird.

"If we live through this, I totally want you on Team Rebel." Ichigo said, laying her back on the cold floor. She didn't see it but Fell gave her a small smile, his face softening as he thought about a life with Mint. It would be a life without fighting, or wars or chimera animals. He would keep her safe and they would be happy together. He just had to get out of this prison first. Ichigo watched curiously as he rose and began looking about the room.

"What are you doing?" She asked, rolling onto her stomach so she could see him better. He didn't answer, rubbing his fingers along the wall. They hit a notch and he knew he had struck home but before he could press it, the door flung open. He flinched, quickly pulling his hand from the wall. Amon and two guards stood in the doorway, smirking at the prisoners.

"Who's next?" Amon asked cheerfully. He frowned as if he was disappointed that no one had jumped up and waved their hand in the air.

"Ok then, eenie meenie minie you." He grinned as his finger pointed at Fell. The alien shrunk back from the finger but quickly regained his composure, a façade of pure boredom replacing the fear. The guards grabbed his arms and pulled him quickly from the room. Amon smirked at her, his hand reaching out to pat her head.

"Don't worry kitty, your turns is coming soon."

**Mwaha I finally finished. I started writing this chapter but then went on youtube and emerged three hours later having watched a bunch of random videos that I don't know how I got on. But I prevailed and I finished. Hopefully this chapter was okay since I **_**was **_**distracted the whole time. Please let me know what you think!**

***That sounded really weird and I don't know if I should have phrased it that way.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Off The Deep End Chapter 27- Good Dog**

**Once again I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, I had major testing but thankfully I am completely done and I'm out of school! Yay summer! But sadly, that also means this part of the story is coming to a close **** I'll be on hiatus after I finish up this first installment and then near the end of summer I will start the new story (though I'll have the epilogue up before I break) I'm still looking for names for the new story! I can't believe all of the positive feedback I've gotten for this story and everything I'm hearing for Shadow Kissed! I love you all!**

Fell yanked his arms at the restraints, cursing himself for not being stronger. He had been strapped to the table for some time now, though Amon had yet to show up. Fell felt a little spark of fear for Ichigo, trapped in the concrete room with the invasion leader and he was crazy with worry for Mint. But he forced himself to focus as one of the guards, a Cyniclon he had trained with for years at the combat school, approached to check on him. The alien was careful to not make eye contact but Fell could see the guilt on his face.

"You realize what you're doing is wrong right? These people have done nothing to deserve us killing them." He whispered, not wanting to get the boy in trouble but wanting to get through to him.

"Shut up. I'm not supposed to talk to you." The guard hissed but didn't walk away, showing Fell he was waiting to hear what he had to say.

"Amon may say differently, but ask any of the Ikisatashis or even me and we'll tell you that not all humans are bad. In fact, some of them are completely beautiful and amazing and talented and loving." Fell stopped himself before he could start rambling about Mint. The guard's ears perked a little bit and he turned to look at Fell in surprise.

That was all he needed.

The dark haired Cyniclon's eyes turned black as he captured the boy's gaze. The guard's eyes faded to a blinding white and he dropped the knife he had cleverly hidden in his sleeve. As Fell lifted his head, the alien mirrored the movement.

"Release me." He commanded, his voice no longer soft and friendly. The guard moved robotically, stiffly unstrapping Fell's arms and legs. Rubbing his wrists, he leapt off the table and turned back to the guard.

"Give me all of your weapons and then go report to your officer that I am securely detained, though resistant. There is no way I will escape. Do not tell him about any of this. You will awake in exactly one minute and do as I have told you." His cold voice instructed the guard who nodded slowly. Fell blinked, his eyes turning back to normal and took off running for the ship. He had exactly one minute until the guard would wake up and he wasn't sure how his instructions would hold up once he was fully awake. He had to find Ichigo and get out of there.

***Café Mew Mew***

Kisshu paced impatiently in the basement, bugging Keiichiro and Ryou but not affecting Mint who was still unconscious on the cot.

"How long until she wakes up?"He asked for what seemed the hundredth time. Ryou sighed and was about to snap a sharp retort but Keiichiro stopped him with a glance.

"Kisshu I know you want to rescue Ichigo, but we have never dealt with something like this before. We don't know when she might wake up or if she will at all. And even if she does wake up soon, who knows if she's going to be battle ready?" The brunette scientist said gently and Kish sighed angrily again. He wanted so badly to storm their stupid ships and tear everything, and everyone, apart until he found his Koneko-chan, but fourteen plus years of battle and combat training wouldn't allow him to pull a reckless move like that. He had to wait until he had a formidable force to face his enemy with and that meant waiting until Mint had awoken so she could join the Mews. Their attacks were stronger than almost anything the aliens could do and with Lilac, Gaunt and Ichigo gone, the rebels were going to need all the help they could get.

"Kisshu. I am back." Pie reported the obvious as he descended the stairs into the lower room. He was a little flushed after going out with the other aliens to check for any invader activity.

"Did something happen?" The green haired Cyniclon asked, worried by Pie's exhausted appearance.

"Just some minor chimeras spread across the city. More than likely they were just distractions to tire us out and keep us from being able to focus our energy on attacking their ships. No one is hurt but we all need to rest. It will be a day or two before we are strong enough to go out to fight." Kish was disheartened by the news of having to wait longer, but looking at Mint, he knew they were going to have to wait that long anyway. The Mew's small chest rose and fell evenly but slowly, showing that she had no intention of rising anytime soon.

"Rest and then tonight I want everyone down here for a Mew Meeting. We need to make sure every alien, Mew and human knows, no, memorizes the whole fleet. Each and every ship because we don't know where Ichigo is." Pie nodded in agreement and began walking back up the stairs. He thought he imagined Kisshu whispering as he left.

"I will get her back no matter what it costs."

***The Meeting Ship***

Fell's heart hammered as he made his was quietly through the ship, avoiding every camera and guard station. He knew every nook and cranny of this ship and was able to make it to the holding cell without any interference. Pressing his ear against the door, he listened intently for any sign of someone other than Ichigo.

He heard nothing.

Even through the door he should have been able to hear the cat Mew's breathing and heart beat but the room was completely silent. He pushed the door and it swung open to divulge a completely empty room.

"You didn't really think it was going to be that easy did you?" A cold voice snickered behind him and Fell forced his ears to not droop in defeat. He plastered an easy grin onto his face before turning, projecting the air of nonchalance though he didn't believe it would fool Amon in the slightest. He was right of course and as he turned, Amon's smirk deeped. The alien tsked and attempted to don a disapproving frown.

"Tsk tsk Fell, you know it's not nice to go around hypnotizing innocent guards. Now I have to kill him."He shook his head in mock disappointment before looking back to laugh. Two guards moved in from behind him and took Fell in their grasp. He didn't fight it. He had condemned that boy to death and for what? He had failed Ichigo and he had failed Mint. He wasn't getting out of here, at least not in this body.

A few minutes later Fell was again strapped to the table, though this time Amon hovered over him chuckling sadistically. A glowing parasite floated next to him, bobbing in the air coming from its master's mouth.

"You could have been a great hero Fell." Amon said, repeating what he had told him when he first found out about Fell's affair. "But at least you'll make one heck of a chimera!" He laughed and slammed the creature into Fell's chest. The alien screamed in pain as his whole body was suddenly engulfed in agony. It felt like his veins were full of liquid fire and his skin was crawling with a million stinging ants. He wanted to kill himself, rip his skin off, anything to stop the immense pain. He felt the pop and crack as his bones expanded, pushing painfully on his skin. His muscles bulged out, pressing the restraints until they burst open. His head felt like it was going to explode as he felt his skull pressing outwards. The table groaned under his growing weight and was soon unable to support him.

Then Fell stopped feeling completely.

Fell was no more, but in his place stood a huge monster. Its whole body was black and ripped, muscles bulging out from every imaginable place. It looked like some weird mix between a human, a cat and a wolf. It stood upright like a human but everything else, from its sharp canines to its long pointed ears, was completely feral. A growl rumbled through its body and Amon clapped in appreciation.

"Kill them. Kill them all." He instructed his creation, watching in glee as it sprang away in search of the rebels. "Guards you can bring Ichigo out now."

Two guards stepped out of the shadows bearing a horrified looking red head between them. Her skin was tinted green and she looked equally ready to pass out and to throw up. Amon smiled and cupped her chin.

"So what do you think about my latest masterpiece? Wasn't he beautiful?" the invasion leader cooed, stroking her hair softly. Ichigo pulled as far away from his hand as her alien restraints would allow.

"It," She spat, "Was absolutely hideous and disgusting." Amon giggled and swatted her head.

"Now now, none of that. You could hurt my feelings." Suddenly his eyes turned dark and evil, well more dark and evil than usual. "And you don't want to see me when I'm upset." He growled, grabbing a handful of her hair and jerking her closer. She let out a soft whimper of pain and he released her with another laugh.

"If that hurts Ichigo, I can't wait to see how you take turning into a chimera. I sincerely hope you are a screamer." With that, he gestured to the guards to take her back to her concrete cell. Then he teleported to go watch the show.

***Café Mew Mew***

With half of the Café still torn apart, they didn't have that many customers. The occasional few would walk by, see the hole and then think better of it. Thus being said, Ryou was pressuring everyone to get the damage fixed as soon as possible.

"You could help you know." Keeka rolled her eyes as she looked over to where the blonde was sitting at one of the still standing tables. Ryou raised an eyebrow.

"And miss getting to watch you work your pretty little self up? No thanks." He smirked. Toge, who was sweeping up broken glass nearby, perked his ears up in annoyance when Keeka didn't respond with one of her witty comebacks. Could she really be into that annoying, spoiled and arrogant jerk? Karma noticed the exchange, and Toge's reaction, and quickly came to the rescue. She sidled up to him slyly and whispered in his ear.

"You realize she's been in love with you for about two years now right? Don't expect her to wait around forever." Toge turned to say something but she teleported to the other side of the room before he could. He eyed Keeka secretly, watching as her lovely face flushed with sweat and exertion. She dropped her dustpan and they both bent down to retrieve it. Their hands met and shocks of electricity flew through both of their systems. Keeka looked up into Toge's eyes, her mouth opening.

Before she could say anything, something large crashed through the wall, destroying any progress the workers had made. As the chimera growled, everyone groaned in exhaustion and annoyance.

"You could have used the door." Semoka grumbled. The black creature lifted its snout into the air and sniffed, letting out an earsplitting howl after a few seconds. The howl chilled everyone to the bone. It was a hunting howl, used to let others know when the hunter had found its prey.

"Mew Pudding!"

"Mew Lettuce!"

"Mew Zakuro!"

"METAMORPHO-SIS!"

No one missed how short the chant was or how weak the end without the whole Mew team there. The chimera charged them, knocking Pudding to the ground and standing menacingly over the youngest Mew, its jaws slathering furiously.

"Its Fell!" Kish called out. "What's his weakness?"

"I don't know that he has one!" Riff answered fearfully.

The creature's jaws parted and it gave another eerie howl, but this time, it was a howl to signal that it was about to make a kill.

**Poor Pudding **** trapped under a big slobbery dog until I update again. Oh whale, can't make everyone happy. So what did you think about this chapter? Please review/follow/favorite and let me know!**

**P.s. last chapter tbh honest I kind of forgot about Fell and was going to do a Ryou/Mint pairing but then realized my mistake at the last second and had to go back and change it all. Which is why there will defiantly be a Ryou/Mint pairing in my story Shadow Kissed.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Off The Deep End Chapter 28- Whipped**

**How am I already at chapter 28? I remember when I was on like chapter 5 and barely anybody was even reading this! Thanks to everyone who has read the story and commented on it (especially kisshuismylife for encouraging me to stop being lazy and write the next chapter). But you don't care about the sappy stuff, you want to know if Pudding's gonna be alright!**

Amon watched with glee as Ichigo squirmed on the table, the restraints cutting into the skin on her wrists and ankles. She spat curses at him, her face contorted with a mixture of rage and fear.

"Ahh my kitty. " he cooed, the nickname having none of the lovingness as when Kish used it. "You're gonna be the best on yet." He patted her head. Ichigo prayed his hand would stray close enough to her mouth that she could bite it.

"You see, I studied the others while they were in the room and I knew what their weak spots would be. I designed the chimeras to put the weak spot somewhere that would be almost impossible to get to." He explained, walking in dizzying circles around her. "But you? You don't seem to have a weakness." He laughed as her eyes widened.

"Yes kitty cat. You're going to be unbeatable."

***Café Mew Mew***

Saliva dripped down from the hound's jowls as he slathered over Pudding, his death call still ringing in the air. His teeth grinned evilly out from his lips, gnashing at the thought of sinking them into the young girl's flesh. Mouth widening in anticipation, he leaned down, hot breath washing over Pudding's face.

The dog reared up, growling in pain. A blue arrow sprouted from its neck, and though the wound wasn't enough to kill it, it defiantly didn't like it very much. An exhausted looking Mint stood in the doorway, transformed and with her bow raised to her cheek. Pudding took the opportunity to scramble out of the way and join Lettuce where she stood near the wrecked wall.

"Pudding doesn't think she wants a dog anymore." She whispered to the older Mew.

Another howl of pain came from the chimera as it reached up and yanked the arrow out of its neck, throwing it to the ground. His lips drew back in a snarl, prowling slowly over to Mint. Spittle and saliva spattered her skin as he growled furiously at her, close enough for her to see the whites of his eyes.

"Fell." She said evenly. "Sit."

To everyone's surprise, the dog dropped to the floor, drawing his haunches up underneath him. The big, dangerous chimera sat at her feet, awaiting her next command. Mint patter his head and the black dog rubbed his head along her hand.

"Fell's weakness is the he is completely whipped*." Mint smirked as she looked at the shocked faces around the café. Maya gave a slow clap of appreciation and was soon joined by all of the females besides Pudding who wasn't quite sure what whipped meant.

"You mean to tell me Pudding almost died and all we had to do was tell it to sit?" The dog's head whipped around to snarl at Kish's voice.

"No. Fell doesn't listen to anyone else. Just me." Smirking again, she rubbed the animal behind its ears. The chimera groaned in pleasure and within a few seconds, the parasite had separated from Fell's body. Masha chirped happily as he swallowed it. Fell slumped unconsciously to the floor and Mint frowned as she tried to pick him up.

"He was cuter as a dog."

***About an hour later***

Fell was already starting to wake up and Mint was in the basement with him. The others were all nursing injuries, resting sore muscles or attempting to fix the wall again.

"If anything else happens to this wall I'm going to take that as a sign that we shouldn't fix it." Omahu grumbled to Narcis who was working beside him. As soon as he said that, something crashed through the wall again.

Everyone glared down at Tart and Pudding who were wrestling on the floor.

"Pudding is a monkey not a lemur!" The blonde Mew yelled and tugged at Tart's hair. No one had enough energy to rebuke the pair and ended up just throwing the repair tools to the floor and giving up.

"Seriously, why does no one use the door?" Semoka asked, causing Loki to burst out laughing. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling the grey eyed alien close to him. At the sight of them, Pie unconsciously hugged Lettuce, Toge grabbed Keeka, Riff attached himself to Maya and even Tart embraced Pudding who blushed scarlet. Kisshu looked at the ground, a small tear escaping his eye at the thought of his koneko-chan alone with Amon. Pie noticed, and felt a twinge of guilt for excluding his brother.

"She is strong Kisshu. I am sure Ichigo is kicking and screaming and making Amon regret ever kidnapping her." He encouraged.

"It's true." Mint said as she helped Fell up the stairs from the basement.

"I've never seen someone who could resist him so much." Fell added.

The others nodded, each having a great admiration for the cat Mew.

"I remember that time when she was sick and she fought until she passed out and the Blue Knight ended up having to stop you because she refused to surrender." Lettuce said, recalling the first time they had met the mysterious warrior.

"And there was the time she wouldn't stop until she had reunited that kitty cat Asano with his housecat true love!" Pudding giggled. Only the Mews and the Ikisatashis knew Pudding was being completely serious. "She went all over the city searching for the lilac point cat." The other aliens ignored what they deemed to be more of Pudding's random ramblings.

"Or when Ichigo destroyed the cherry tree even though it meant a lot to her and she knew if Masaya found out he would be hurt." Zakuro added.

"I remember how awful I had been to her when she tried to talk to me about my being a Mew Mew." Mint blushed in shame, a rare thing for the bird Mew, "But she still tried to save me when Miki turned into a chimera."

And so they went, each person sharing a memory of some battle or fight where Ichigo had shown her courage, skills and leadership. Slowly, Kish realized they were all right.

Ichigo wasn't going to go down without a fight.

**The Meeting Ship**

"Are you done talking yet?" The red head's ears popped out in frustration. "You're really boring me." Amon stopped his pacing and came to stand by her head.

"I really don't see what some of my Cyniclon brothers see in you humans. You're just so…plain." He mused. Ichigo gave him a wicked smile.

"Untie me and give me my pendant. Then you'll really see how plain I am."

Amon acted like he was thinking about her offer but then shook his head. "I couldn't let you leave before you got to be a part of one of the greatest chimeras ever made." He gestured to some aliens who were pushing something tall on wheels.

"Look," He told Ichigo as she stared up in confusion at her own reflection. "I've even had a mirror made so that you can watch your transformation. You've got the best seat in the house." He chuckled as her face contorted in horror. He removed the chimera from his pocket, letting the pale creature bounce along his hands. Its wiggling tentacles moved along his skin, promising power. Only Amon could see the slight differences in this chimera from the regular ones. It was slightly bigger, with a darker color than the normal transparent parasites. He cradled his custom creature in his palms, whispering words of encouragement to it as he released it onto Ichigo's exposed leg.

"Have fun." He chuckled.

The creature sank into Ichigo's skin, disappearing into her body. A light showed up through her skin, marking where the creature was. It quickly followed her veins, making its way to her chest. Ichigo's rapid panting accentuated the eerie glow of the creature as it reached her heart and wrapped itself around it. It released its hormones, essences to tell the body to shift and change into something bigger and better. Amon held Ichigo's head still so that she was forced to look into the mirror and watch as her body contorted into unnatural positions. Her bones lengthened, stretching her along the table until she had split the restraints and was hanging off on both sides. Her muscles grew, bulging out against her skin in a sick contrast. Her pupils contracted into golden slits and her teeth elongated into feral canines. She felt hair growing all over her body, a soft but long and dangerous coat. Her ears and tail grew along with her body, twitching and becoming more sinister.

"It is almost complete." Amon cooed down to her. "My invincible chimera is almost complete!"

Ichigo watched as she took on her final shape and her mind slowly slipped away from her.

_I cannot kill them. I cannot kill. I cannot. Kill._

_ Kill. I must kill._

**Sorry it's so short, but next chapter should be fairly long since it's the second to last. Let me know what you think is going to happen and how all of this is going to turn out! **

**Please review/follow/favorite! (I'm really really hoping to hit 100 reviews on this story by the time I list it as complete!)**

***Whipped- **being completely controlled by your girlfriend or boyfriend...in most cases a guy being completely controlled by his girlfriend.


	30. Chapter 30

**Off The Deep End Chapter 29- The Darkest Hour**

**Yes I did get the title from Warriors by Erin Hunter. Second to last chapter (not including the epilogue)! Ichigo is being a little troubling seeing as I have to figure out what to make her weakness and how to make it very hard to defeat her (or maybe they won't defeat her? Idk Idk). On with the story!**

Kisshu watched as his team prepared for the upcoming battle. Maya was showing a group of rebels some of her fighting moves, while Semoka and Lot were practicing with their powers. The two had figured out that if Semoka made it rain, Lot could control the rain water. Lot figured that Gaunt had warned the invaders about his power so they would do everything possible to make sure there was no water near the battle site. Many people were sharpening weapons, practicing moves or memorizing the layout of the ships. Loki however, was sitting gloomily at a table.

"Is everything okay?" Kish asked the larger alien. He nodded, but gazed past Kisshu. The green haired Cyniclon followed his look, and realized he was staring at Semoka and Lot. He gave a gentle smile, something that only Ichigo had ever received before.

"Trust me, she's totally into you." He reassured Loki. He shook his mop of brown hair.

"I've got nothing on the kid. I'm a huge oaf who doesn't have a cool power, all I've got is a big piece of wood."

Kish sighed, wanting to help Loki out but knowing this wasn't the time to worry about lovers' quarrels. "And you're an amazing fighter. Semoka's only working with Lot to help him with his fighting, nothing else." He patted the alien's shoulder and went to check on Karma and Keeka.

The pair was dueling, though neither seemed to be making any progress. They were evenly matched and knew each other's every move. Toge watched the fight with bright eyes following Keeka's lithe form. Keeka ducked Karma's sword and lashed out with a leg, knocking her twin's legs out from under her. Karma thudded to the floor and Keeka was quick to roll on top of her, holding her sword against her chest.

"Okay okay, you win. Now get off of me you lump!" Karma groaned, pushing her sister off. Keeka squealed with happiness and jumped up.

"I beat you! I beat you!" She crowed. Karma mumbled something unintelligible and sheathed her sword before she could use it against the annoying twin. Toge jumped up, just as excited as Keeka, and swept her into his arms. Their lips met in a swift kiss.

Keeka pulled back, looking stunned, while Toge blushed deeply. The girl grinned and pulled Toge's face back to hers, claiming his lips. Kish felt a little sick at the display and quickly made his way outside to where Fell was showing the Mews some invader fighting maneuvers.

"So you really are a traitor?" Fell froze at the sound of Kish's voice. He turned to face the Ikisatashi, wondering what he was going to say. They hadn't talked since Fell had awoken from the chimera state and now he was worried that he should have approached Kish sooner. When he caught the sly grin on Kish's face, he relaxed, nodded to the leader and returned to his explanation.

Kish laughed quietly to himself, relishing the look of fear on Fell's face for those few moments. His laughter died when he looked at the Tokyo skyline and saw something bright in the distance.

Fire.

"Rebels!" He called loudly. The ones inside heard his cry and quickly filtered outside. He pointed to the blaze.

"I think it's time."

Amon giggled hysterically as the huge, ravenous wild cat tore apart downtown Tokyo. Fire had sprung up in her wake, adding to the destruction. Tiny insignificant humans scattered down the streets, screaming and fleeing the chimera.

It was beautiful.

From the day he had been tasked with avenging Deep Blue, Amon had dreamed of this day. He had dreamed of turning Kisshu's precious Mew into his worst nightmare. Kisshu would come with his pathetic little team and try to beat Ichigo, but it would be impossible. Then, when Ichigo had killed all of her friends and ravaged the rest of Tokyo, he would use her to destroy the rest of the world. After it was all over, he would find a way to remove the chimera and force her to look at all she had done. Maybe he'd let her live as a servant to him or maybe he'd just kill her. He hadn't decided yet about that.

Either way, today was a glorious revolution, today was the first day of the end of the world.

Ichigo floated in a dark cloud of nothing. Every few minutes she would get glimpses of fire and destruction but then sink gratefully back into darkness. Her mind struggled to remind her of something she was supposed to do, but it was too much work to try to remember so Ichigo tried to quiet her thinking. It was lovely here in the complete darkness. She didn't have to worry about anything; all she had to do was sleep. A part of her mind wanted to escape the darkness, but the rest simply wanted to stay here. It was like a cocoon, warm and familiar. If her visions were any indicator, the outside world was awful right now. She would stay in here where it was safe.

Kisshu and the other Cyniclons grabbed the Mews, teleporting to downtown Tokyo. As they arrived, each of the Mews gripped their pendants, kissing them lightly.

"Mew Mint!"

"Mew Lettuce!"

"Mew Pudding!"

"Mew Zakuro!"

"METAMORPHO-SIS!"

They yelled in unison as each was enveloped with bright light. The Mews emerged, transformed and holding their weapons ready. They rushed around the corner, dodging terrified civilians and falling debris. The smoke from the fires burned their lungs, making running alone a difficult task.

How would they fight if they couldn't even breathe?

The smoke began to clear, fanned away by something huge swishing through the air ahead of them. They looked in horror as a beautifully appalling wild cat appeared, towering above them. Its sharp fangs slashed through the air as it clawed at buildings and people.

"Ichigo." Kish breathed in horror, staring up at the chimera. The creature's ears pricked as though it had heard the alien. It turned, teeth gleaming in the light from the fires, and faced the group of rebels.

"Ahh thanks for joining us." Amon smirked, hovering close to the chimera's head so he could pet it. Kish bristled at the sight of Amon toughing his koneko-chan, even in this form.

"As you can see Ichigo's a little busy right now. Would you like for her to kill you before or after she destroys Tokyo?" He asked in mock politeness. Toge appeared behind Amon, raising his knives quietly. Amon sighed and turned around quickly. He yanked the knives from Toge's hands and hurled them to the ground.

"Now it is." He grinned sardonically. "Kill them."

Ichigo roared, snapping her massive fangs on empty air and whirled to where Toge still floated near Amon. Her huge paw swatted him out of the sky with lightening speed, throwing him into a building. The ginger haired alien crashed through a window and disappeared inside.

"Toge!" Keeka yelled before disappearing to find him. The others readied themselves, knowing this fight was going to be the hardest one they had ever fought. What no one noticed, was that Amon had disappeared with an evil smile, leaving them to be killed.

Amon stood in the center of the fleet of ships and smiled again as his warriors readied themselves for battle.

"As soon as we have finished off the rebels," He called to them. "You are going to go out and kill every living person you find within a mile radius of Tokyo."

Everyone stopped, waiting for him to continue.

"By tomorrow morning, Tokyo will be ours!"

The crowd cheered and rushed around, gathering weapons and tools. Gaunt stood in the shadow of one of the ships, his face hard but his eyes worried. He had thought he was helping the Cyniclons by bringing Ichigo Amon. He really hadn't planned on taking Mint as well but he couldn't leave her there where she would alert the others. But now as he listened to the excited talk of destruction and death, he wondered if this really was the best way to save their people. When he had left home, everyone seemed perfectly happy in their new environment, but the Elders said otherwise, and the Elders wouldn't lie to them right?

He had to believe he was doing the right thing, because if he wasn't, he had betrayed his family for nothing.

The air was scorching around the rebels, and sweat was already pouring down their faces. Kish's green hair was plastered to his face as he dodged the fast claws of the chimera. Toge had been recovered from the building but it seemed that his leg was broken and Keeka had returned him to Café Mew Mew for treatment. She had already returned, but by the time she had gotten back, both Riff and Maya had been thrown from the battle. The ones left were exhausted already, and the chimera showed no sign of tiredness. His ears perked up as he heard Omahu talking to Narcis.

"If we don't get out of this, I just wanted to tell you that I love you. I've loved you for a while now." Kish sighed; declarations of love only meant one thing.

They were saying goodbye.

He looked around, seeing the other couples doing the same. Their eyes glistened with unshed tears as they shared their love. His heart ached to be able to share his last moments with Ichigo, not chimera Ichigo, but the beautiful cat Mew, looking fierce and wonderful in her uniform. Amon had taken that from him, and Kisshu vowed that no matter what, he was going to do everything in his power to make Amon pay.

As the chimera roared above him, he knew that Ichigo had no weakness. What everyone had told him was true. Ichigo was strong and determined, something none of them could beat. Pie flew above it, aiming strikes of energy towards its head. This did nothing but aggravate the animal further. Semoka was causing a massive rainstorm as her and Lot attempted to help fight the cat and put out some of the fires. Taruto and Pudding were working together on one side of the cat, while Lettuce, Zakuro and Mint lashed at the other. Loki was trying to yank the cat back by its tail, Fell, Keeka and Karma flanked Pie in the air. Nile was teleporting in infuriating circles around the chimera's head, trying to distract it. Omahu and Narcis stood with Kisshu in front of the creature, bravely staring it down as it advanced on them with an ear splitting hiss.

Its paw flew into the air, unsheathing razor sharp claws.

"Nile watch out!" Karma screamed as the cat swung its claws towards the boy. His momentum was too great to stop as he was thrown onto the claw. The others watched in horror as he was sliced open and the animal flicked its wrist, sending the Cyniclon's body plummeting to the ground. Karma teleported to catch him and then disappeared to the Café with him.

Kish looked to his team; each face was masked in shock, dirt and sweat. He took a breath and raised his swords, trying to get their attention.

"I would not judge any of you if you chose to teleport away from here. Save yourselves." He said. His heart swelled as each of them shook their heads and raised their weapons.

"We stand with you Kisshu!" Keeka called from her spot above the chimera. Everyone echoed similar declarations. As the cat hissed and slashed a paw through a building, sending it crashing down, Kish stabbed his swords into the air.

"Then if I die today, I die with the bravest Cyniclons and humans there ever were!" He yelled.

They yelled in agreement and charged towards the hissing chimera.

**One more chapter to go! I feel bad that Nile really hasn't been in this story much and the one time he really is he gets hurt **** Please review/follow/favorite and tell me your thoughts!**

**Who's going to win? Who's going to die? Will they defeat Chimera Ichigo?**

**Find out next chapter!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Off The Deep End Chapter 30- The Darkest Hour Part 2**

**Yayyyy! I got 100 reviews! *Throws glittery confetti in the air while blowing noise maker* Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and followed and favorited OTDE. This is the last full chapter before the epilogue but not to fear! I will be posting the prologue to the second installment of this story before I leave for vacation. But before we can be ending this part, we've got to see if they can defeat Chimera Ichigo! Is everyone going to make it back to the café tonight? Read on to find out!**

Emzie looked around in anticipation as the invaders gathered their weapons. Each wore a face of war, determined and eager. She scanned the faces, looking for her best friend. Instead, she caught sight of his sister.

"Larka, where's Fell?" She asked the white haired Cyniclon. Larka's light eyes flickered over the group of warriors.

"I don't know. I haven't seen him in a while. I thought he was helping Amon with the prisoners." She said, a little worried. Fell didn't usually leave her alone for so long. Fell seemed to forget that Larka was only a year younger than him and was overly protective of her. Emzie shared her worry. Though there had never been anything romantic about her and Fell's relationship, they didn't normally spend so long apart. Since they had met when they were about five years old, they had basically been joined at the hip.

"Something doesn't feel right. I'm going to find Amon." The red eyed girl said. Larka nodded and continued preparing for the battle.

Emzie made her way through the ship, knowing that Amon was probably with his younger brother. Amon spent the majority of his free time with Skopp, and though no one would dare say so in Amon's hearing, they all suspected that Skopp was a little mentally disabled. Amon, however, was determined that Skopp would be as successful a soldier as he himself was. And maybe he could be, considering he had easily kept cover when he had staked out Café Mew Mew.

Perking her large ears, Emzie caught the sound of Amon's voice. She knocked quietly on the door and took a step back, hoping Amon was in a good mood. Her leader opened the door, Skopp peaking out behind him, and sighed in exasperation.

"What now?" He asked, his voice hard. Emzie swallowed nervously, knowing Amon could be very unreasonable when annoyed.

"I was just…um…Have you seen Fell?" She questioned warily. Amon's face lit with a sort of sick satisfaction.

"Don't worry the traitor has been dealt with." He snickered. Emzie's stomach flipped over and her heart jumped into her throat. Fell had been dealt with? She forced herself to keep calm though, knowing Amon hated to see fear.

"What do you mean by traitor?" She took a deep breath, trying to convince herself she had heard wrong. Amon grinned again, sensing her worry.

"He joined Kisshu's team and I treated him as I treated the other prisoners we brought in." He explained, thinking joyfully of the horror he had seen in Fell's expression as he had turned.

"W…what did you do? What did Fell do?" She asked trying to sound nonchalant. He flashed his sharp teeth in a sardonic smile but his eyes hardened.

"Fell fell in love," He put air quotes around love, "with a human." He spat the word like a curse. "And so, I took care of him like the traitor he was. I turned him into a chimera. One of my special chimeras." He happily watched as Emzie lost her calm façade. He leaned in closer, smelling the fear emanating from her.

"You know the ones. You helped him create them."

Emzie gasped, her face contorting with hate for Amon and fear for Fell. She pushed herself away and dashed down the hall. Skopp waved from the door way as she retreated.

"Amon, why did she go?" He asked, his words a little slurred. Amon smiled gently down at the boy.

"I guess she wanted to go get ready for the fight." He pushed the boy back into the room and closed the door silently.

"Can I go to the fight too?" the younger Cyniclon asked. His older brother patted his head.

"Maybe next time."

Emzie pushed through the crowd, trying to find Larka. She smashed into someone, wrenching her shoulder painfully.

"Watch…Larka!" She exclaimed recognizing the girl.

"Ow." Larka rubbed her arm. "Did you find Fell." Emzie pulled her ear to her mouth and quickly explained what had happened. Larka's eyes widened in horror.

"We've got to do something."

***Down Town Tokyo***

Kisshu launched himself into the air and Omahu lifted himself beside the rebel leader.

"Do you think I would be able to charm speak it?" The blonde asked, his dark eyes searching Kish's for any spark of hope.

"I don't know. I wouldn't…" But Omahu had already lowered himself to make eye contact with the chimera.

"Ichigo," His voice became silky smooth and almost supernatural sounding. "Stop fighting."

The chimera looked quizzically at the long haired Cyniclon and lowered her claws from where they were tearing into a building.

Only to lift one up and smack Omahu to the ground.

Narcis screamed as his body dented the concrete, the sounds of bones cracking echoing in the flaming streets.

"Omahu!" She yelled, lifting the beautiful boy's head into her lap. He coughed, his eyes fluttering open.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, blood bubbling up from his lips. Narcis wiped it gently away, but it was quickly replaced by more. He coughed again and blood speckled the ground. His head dropped down, eyes glazing over and mouth going slack.

"No no no!" Narcis screamed, tears streaming down her face. Kish watched the scene with mute horror. The small female, launched herself off of the ground. Gripping her bow, she notched an arrow into the string. Her tiny body hovered angrily in front of the chimera, pulling the arrow back to her cheek.

"Narcis don't!" Kish screamed as the archer let her arrow fly. It lodged into the chimera's eye. The giant cat screeched and reared up, scratching at its face. It hissed and swatted at Narcis.

Just as the outstretched claws touched the girl, Kisshu pushed her out of the way. The claws ripped into his skin, shredding easily through his shirt. His amber eyes rolled back in his head and his body plummeted through the air.

"Kisshu!" He barely heard his siblings scream his name. He felt the jolt of someone's arms cradling his body. He moaned in pain as he was laid onto the concrete.

"We can't lose you too!" Karma cried, her tears bathing her younger brother's face. The rest of the team gathered around him, shielding him from the beast. Karma pulled her sword and whirled around to face it.

"Ichigo!" She screamed. The chimera's ears perked up, faintly remembering the name.

"You've killed him! You killed Kisshu!" Karma pointed her sword to the chimera. She knew her brother was still barely breathing on the concrete, but she hoped she would be able to reach Ichigo's spirit, buried deep in the chimera. Karma backed up, pushing rebels out of the way so the chimera could see its destruction.

"You've killed your teammates and now you've killed your love." The chimera hissed and somehow, Karma knew she was getting through.

"Ichigo, if you're anywhere in there, you've got to stop yourself. You're the only one who can stop you from killing anyone else." The cat's head dipped down and pushed through the people. It touched Kish, who saw the chimera nearing through narrowed eyes. He held his breath as the warm nose gingerly touched him.

Chimera Ichigo backed up, knocking into another building. Its eyes went from black to pink, still focused on Kish's unmoving form. It let out a wail; it chilled everyone in hearing distance down to their souls. Then, the chimera turned launched herself down the road. Everyone clutched their ears, even the humans with their lesser hearing, until the wailing had subsided. The chimera was nowhere to be seen, but a wake of destruction showed the way it had gone.

"Kisshu you can breathe now." Keeka said. The green haired alien took in a deep breath, coughing and gasping as they helped him off the ground. His wounds were minor, though they stung horribly. The others clapped each other on the back, especially Karma for talking to the chimera. Kish, however was staring down the road at the destruction.

"My poor Koneko-chan." He whispered.

"How in the world did you defeat my chimera? She didn't have any weaknesses!" A cold voice spoke from behind the group. Kisshu seethed with rage as he turned to face Amon.

"Because you were wrong." Karma spoke up. When they had been fighting, Karma had figured it out. She had figured out Ichigo's weakness.

"What do you mean?" Amon growled floating threateningly closer to the girl. Kisshu bared his teeth in hatred and Amon involuntarily moved back. Karma gave a small smile.

"Ichigo's weakness was love. She cares about others more than she cares for herself. And she loves Kisshu." She turned to her younger brother, the strong leader, who suddenly looked more vulnerable as he thought about her. His eyes were downcast and tears filled them as he realized he may never see her again. Ichigo had run away and Kish didn't know if she was still a chimera or not. He didn't know what would happen if no one defused the parasite from her. She may never return to normal.

"Love." Amon snorted. "We'll see how far love gets you when you face my army." He grinned and waved his hand. The rebels turned to see invaders pouring through every available opening to the street. Fell moved up protectively towards Mint, and the group pulled together, back to back, their weapons facing out.

"You seem to be missing some people." The invaders smirked as their leader circled the small resistance. "And you seem to have gained a traitor." Amon glared at Fell but quickly recovered his smirk.

"Doesn't matter. We're going to kill you all anyways." Amon raised his arm to give the signal.

"Stop!" There was a commotion in the crowd. Emzie and Larka pushed their way to the front, weapons drawn to anyone who tried to stop them.

"Fell! You're alive!" His sister called to him. Fell nodded in her direction, not taking his wary eyes off of Amon. He heard feet pounding towards him and risked a glance to the source of the noise. Emzie and Larka both managed to wrap their arms around him in a relieved hug.

"I…we..we thought you were dead." Larka breathed, clinging to her brother. Fell started to respond but was cut off by Amon's annoyed voice.

"He will be soon. And so will you if you do not return to rank." He warned but the girls ignored his order. They turned to him, weapons pointing at their new enemy.

"If Fell thinks the right thing to do is join Kisshu, then so do we." Emzie growled. Amon sighed, though didn't look thoroughly concerned.

"Fine." He jabbed a finger forwards. "Attack!" The invaders converged on the small group. Karma and Keeka's swords moved in unison, almost creating one giant opponent. Kish fought with valor, fighting to avenge his Koneko-chan. Narcis' bow and arrow seemed to shoot faster than possible, screaming Omahu's name with every shot. Pie and Tart fought next to Lettuce and Pudding, creating an impassable wall. Zakuro's whip swirled around her body where she stood next to them. Mint shot into the force of invaders with Fell protecting her. Emzie and Larka stood beside them, fighting for their new team. Loki protected Semoka as she conjured tornadoes and lightening to ward off attackers. Lot was slashing water as sharp as any sword, through anyone who came too close.

Suddenly, Lot's water fell to the ground with a splash. He thought he was ready to face this opponent, but he had been wrong. Dead wrong.

Gaunt stood before him, his hands raised as if he was about to chi block. His hands fell to his side uselessly, his mouth open but making no sound.

"Brother." Lot said quietly, his voice strangled in pain and longing. No matter what he had said, he knew there was no way he could fight his own brother. Something flashed through Gaunt's eyes.

"If you're not going to kill him then I will." A large invader pushed past Gaunt, knocking him to the ground. The Cyniclon advanced on Lot, who quickly raised his hands and pulled the spilt water from the ground. The invader raised his sword, only to drop it to the ground. Soon, the alien's whole body followed, lying stiffly on the concrete.

Gaunt stood proudly behind and grinned at his brother. He took a step forward, his mouth open to say something.

Blood spattered from his open mouth and his eyes widened. He looked down to see a sword sticking through his stomach. He fell to the ground and Amon pulled his sword clear of the boy.

"Once a traitor always a traitor." He said calmly before teleporting out of sight. Lot stared in shock and horror as the life quickly vanished from his brother's body. Gaunt's mouth moved, muttering something Lot couldn't hear. He knelt down and placed his ear close.

"Please forgive me brother." His younger sibling begged. Lot smiled, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"You have redeemed yourself. You will be counted with the heroes from this battle." He promised. Gaunt gave a faint smiled and his breath left him with a woosh.

Lot stood up and fought with a renewed passion. His water scythed through his enemies, taking out multiple invaders at a time.

And still, they poured out into the streets. When the rebels would take out one, two more would immediately take its place. As Kisshu looked at his team, he could tell they were fading. They were exhausted from the fight with the chimera and badly outnumbered. Loki was having trouble fending off attackers so the Semoka could control the weather. Soon she would have to start fighting, but Kish knew that she was no good at hand to hand combat. He glanced over to Lot but the boy was lost in a whirl of dangerous liquids. The Mews were exhausted and Zakuro and Pudding's ears drooped with defeat.  
They were going to lose.

Kisshu felt a pressure hit his swords and his head snapped back to face his new opponent. Amon hovered in front of him, grinning evilly. The green haired alien's amber eyes narrowed in hatred. This was the Cyniclon who had tortured Ichigo. This was the monster that had turned her into a Chimera.

"It's going to be fun to kill you Kisshu. And then guess what?" He waited, mocking disappointment when Kish didn't guess. "And then I'm going to hunt Ichigo down, and I'm going to kill her. But just for you, I am going to make sure it is the slowest, most painful death possible." Kish screamed in rage, his face turning red and he swung up his swords to deal a death blow.

Amon reached a hand out and calmly grabbed his wrist.

Kish crumpled to the ground as he felt electricity flow through his body. He fought to keep his eyes open and his head swam in pain and confusion. Amon released his arm and looked appreciatively at his fingers.

"Didn't I tell you Kisshu? I acquired a new power when we arrived on earth." He grinned and reached down to place his fingers on Kish's skull. "This is what I'm going to do to Ichigo. Though with a little less electricity. I wouldn't want her to die before I'm done having fun with her." He took a second to appreciate the look of pure hatred on his enemy's face.

A roar shook the buildings and every being in the street. The fighters, rebel and invader alike, scattered, some taking flight and some ducking into alleyways. Chimera Ichigo bounced down the street, its body growing smaller the closer it got. It quickly morphed, leaving Ichigo in her Mew form and gripping something new.

It was a rod, but different than anything she had had before. It was tall, almost as tall as her, and the staff was black with hot pink lines criss crossing upwards. The top was adorned with her Strawberry Bell and in the middle of the bell, a large rainbow colored mass glowed brightly. Ichigo glowed as well. The rainbow glow shone from her eyes, mouth and finger tips. She looked otherworldly as she faced Amon.

Amon removed his fingers from Kish's head and the rebel leader quickly teleported out of the way. To his credit, he stood bravely (or stupidly) in front of her, and drew his sword.

"Amon." She said, though it was not exactly her voice. It sounded similar, but it also sounded different. It was deeper somehow, more mature. It rang with power and everyone who heard it cowered in fear.

Except Amon.

"You have brought destruction to this world. The Mews have once again protected it and are now joined by Cyniclon rebels." She continued. She turned, lifting her staff and suddenly, everything went dark. Light quickly reappeared again and everyone looked up to find them at the place where the invaders were keeping their ships. Ichigo pointed her staff at the closest ship. A stream of light shot from the Strawberry Bell and the whole ship exploded, shaking the ground. When the smoke cleared, nothing remained but some smoldering debris. She continued like that, destroying every ship but one.

"I have left a way for you to escape. Do so now or I will kill you." She spoke again. Amon looked like he was going to argue but obviously though better of it.

"We are leaving earth." He announced, backing to where his forces stood huddled. "But do not think that we will give up our hold on our planet." He glared at Ichigo and the rebels.

"You are a fool to think they will allow you to rule over innocent people. No matter where you go, the Mews and the rebels will fight for their freedom and the freedom of their people." Ichigo promised. Amon disappeared, as did his follower, and Ichigo turned to face the rebels as the last invading ship launched off.

"It is your job to follow him to the Cyniclon planet. You must work together to defeat him and the Elders. You will find that you already have some friends waiting." Kisshu stepped forwards, about to ask something. Ichigo raised a hand and spoke again.

"Ichigo loves you Kisshu, and she will return. She will regain her body but she will not regain her memory, not of this and not of her time as a chimera. I trust that you will let her know that what happened was not her fault. I can sense that you love her as well." Her look softened as she gazed at Kisshu. She reached out to touch his hair lightly and the Cyniclon felt energy and strength flow into him. He stood tall and nodded at the glowing woman.

"You must go to your home quickly Kisshu. The Elders have done more damage in your time away." She turned to face the Mews. "You must go with them. I promise earth will be safe in your absence. Ichigo will lead you; she is strong and will quickly recover from this." She turned back to face the whole group.

"I must go now and return this body to Ichigo's spirit. Though I do know many things, I do not know if we will meet again, at least not like this. If that is so, I wish you good luck on your mission. You cannot fail; both your homes depend on your success."

The light faded and Ichigo's body slumped to the ground. Before she could hit, Kisshu caught her in his arms. He held her close, tears washing grime off his cheeks. Though she was unconscious, he was grateful to be holding his Koneko-chan in his arms again.

"Well, at least we know what we've got to do know." Keeka's hand clamped on his shoulder. He nodded and turned to face his team. In Ichigo's absence, he had somehow become their leader. They looked up at him, filled with loyalty and respect for him. He had led them into battle, and though they had lost some, he had led them to victory.

"Home." He said loudly. "We are going home."

**That is the longest chapter of anything I have ever written. So what did you think of the final chapter of OTDE? Was it awesome? Please say it was awesome :D**

**The epilogue should be posted on Sunday and I might post the prologue and a teaser chapter of the second part of this which will be called….. *DRUM ROLL***

**Into The Deep!**

**OTDE will be posted as a completed story and ITD will be the second installment and posted as in progress. **

**While you're waiting for ITD, you can always take a look at my other story Shadow Kissed (which is proudly Kishigo ****) **

**Thank you to everyone for making this story so amazing and all of your support and reviews!**

**Please let me know what you thought of the last chapter of OTDE!**


	32. Chapter 32

**Off The Deep End Epilogue- The Cherry Tree**

**I can't believe I'm already finishing up this part of the story **** I'm going to miss them being on earth but I can't wait for them to go to the Cyniclon planet (which btw I would greatly appreciate if someone could suggest me a name for their planet cause I have no clue as what to name it). Thanks to everyone who has read or reviewed or favorited or followed! Happy reading!**

Ichigo knelt in front of the small twig that was growing up through the dirt. It had grown quite a bit since the last time she had been here with Masaya. She thought back to that day and was amazed by how much everything had changed.

She hadn't seen her parents in weeks, since they still thought she was on vacation, and she probably wouldn't see them until she came back from the Cyniclon planet. If she came back.

No one had heard from Masaya, though everyone at Café Mew Mew knew it was because Masaya technically no longer existed. His parents were frantic with worry and still had every available police man out looking for him, but even the police were beginning to give up.

In the few days since the battle, no one had seen hide or hair of the invaders. Except for Fell, Larka and Emzie of course. Fell had made it obvious that he was planning to be around for a while and the girls received their own colorful Café uniforms. Once they had relaxed enough to start making friends, they had become quite friendly with Lot and Nile, who was recovering nicely from his clawing.

Everyone seemed to be recovering, even Toge as badly bruised as he was. Omahu and Gaunt were the only two lost in the battle, and though Lot was moving on from his brother's death, Narcis didn't think she'd ever get over the death of her lover. She spent a lot of time tucked in a corner of the Café crying and remembering her last moments with him.

Ichigo, remembered almost nothing about the time between the Chimera fusing with her and when she woke up in Kish's arms in the middle of a destroyed downtown Tokyo. The green haired Cyniclon was reluctant to tell her what had happened because he was afraid she would blame herself.

He was right, of course. Ichigo blamed herself for hurting people, destroying the city and killing Omahu. But for her, it was more of a guilty by association thing, since even she understood that there was no way she could have stopped herself.

The red head ran her fingers lightly over the soft leaves of the sprout. It danced in the wind, showing how fragile it still was. However, Ichigo knew it would grow into a study, tall tree, capable of withstanding the tests of time. She looked at the tree, knowing that it represented something more.

Her relationship with Masaya had been that huge old cherry tree, strong and dependent. But her Mew powers had destroyed it, leaving nothing but a smoldering hole where it once stood. Her relationship with Kisshu was this little baby tree, new and fragile. Ichigo could sense that it would grow, right along with this tree, until it became something strong and beautiful.

Though they truly hadn't been dating for long, Ichigo knew without a doubt that she would stand with him. They would fight side by side until they had won freedom for both of their peoples.

"Ichigo are you coming? We've got to pack the ship!" Kish's voice called from where he hovered in a nearby tree, watching her intently.

"Yeah hold on a second." She picked herself off of the ground and gasped as his arms were suddenly around her waist. He kissed softly at her neck and she could feel his smirk against her skin.

"Let's go." She said and the world went black.

**And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of OTDE. Tune in sometime next week or the week after for the prologue to Into The Deep. I will also probably post a teaser chapter for ITD before I leave for vacation.**

**Once again thank you to everyone who has read and supported this story!**

**Let me know what you thought of the ending and what you want to happen in ITD!**

**TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!**


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